Commanders' Jayden Daniels Out with Knee Injury; Marcus Mariota to Start Against Raiders
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a knee injury, with Marcus Mariota stepping in as the starter.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders due to a knee injury sustained in last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that Daniels will not play, stating, "We've decided to start Marcus. We said at the beginning that we would be very diligent with [Daniels'] return to play."
Daniels, who was named NFL Rookie of the Year last season after leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, suffered a knee sprain during the 27-18 defeat to the Packers. Despite completing the game with 200 passing yards and two touchdowns, his availability for Week 3 was uncertain following the injury.
In Daniels' absence, veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota will start. Mariota, who joined the Commanders last season, has not been a starter since 2022 when he started 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons. The Commanders are hopeful that Mariota can effectively lead the offense against the Raiders.
The Commanders, currently 1-1, will host the Raiders at FedEx Field on Sunday, September 21, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.