The Washington Commanders will be without their most important player on Sunday, as head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that quarterback Jayden Daniels has been ruled out of the matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a knee injury.
Daniels, who suffered the setback in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, was limited in practice this week before Quinn made the call to sideline him. It will be the first NFL game Daniels has ever missed, after starting all 20 contests during his breakout rookie season.
The 23-year-old has been the driving force behind Washington’s resurgence, leading the Commanders to their best season in over three decades and snapping a 19-year playoff win drought en route to last year’s NFC Championship Game. He’s widely seen as the key piece in their push to contend for a Lombardi Trophy.
Mariota will take the reins of the offense
With Daniels sidelined, veteran Marcus Mariota will take over as QB1. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner has started 74 games in his 11-year career and impressed in limited action last season, completing 34 of 44 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns in relief duty. However, he hasn’t made a start since 2022.
With Daniels under center, the Commanders finished the 2024 season with a 12-5 record. They defeated Tampa Bay and Detroit in the postseason, but fell to Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game.
The road will not be easy for Washington
While Daniels avoided a season-derailing injury, unlike Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow, who is set to miss three months-Washington still faces an uphill battle.
The Commanders enter the matchup at 1-1, with a win over the New York Giants in Week 1. After the Raiders game, they will face back-to-back road tests against the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers.
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