Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss a game for the first time in his young NFL career. Daniels, who sprained his knee during a Thursday night loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, won’t play Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.
His backup, Marcus Mariota, will get the start instead.
Daniels didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday. On Friday, he was a limited participant in practice, as the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year continues to recover from the injury he picked up while scrambling early in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field.
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While Daniels said he was “good” after the 27-18 road loss to the Packers, his MRI indicated otherwise. He was sacked four times and hit another six times in the defeat.
Fortunately for the Commanders, Daniels’ knee issue isn’t expected to keep him out long-term, plus Mariota has experience in the offensive system.
Mariota, a former No. 2 overall pick like Daniels, saw extended action in two games last season.
While Daniels didn’t miss a game in 2024, he was out for most of a Week 7 matchup against the Carolina Panthers with a rib injury, and he sat out the second half of the regular-season finale versus the Dallas Cowboys due to leg soreness. Mariota relieved Daniels both times and thrived under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, completing a combined 33-of-41 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns in a pair of Washington victories.
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Now 31, Mariota has started 74 games in his 11-season career. None of those starts came during his two years playing for the Raiders, although he did make 11 appearances for Vegas over the 2020-21 seasons.
There’s no true replacement for Daniels, however. He won the Heisman Trophy at LSU in 2023 and took the NFL by storm in 2024, piloting the Commanders to their first NFC championship game since the 1991 season.
He was a maestro, orchestrating seamless offense that made him look like a veteran, not a rookie signal-caller. Daniels totaled 4,459 yards and 31 touchdowns, consistently threatening opponents with both his arm and his legs.
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For now, Daniels will have to hand over his metaphorical conducting baton to Mariota while he works his way back to center stage.
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