Commanders Marcus Mariota Taking Jayden Daniels Place At Podium What

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 4:16 AM

commanders marcus mariota taking jayden daniels place at podium what

The Washington Commanders may be without their starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders after suffering a knee injury in Week 2. That means that Marcus Mariota will slot in as the starter if he's sidelined. As of now, it looks like Mariota could possibly be the QB1 after the Commanders' latest move, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. “Marcus Mariota will talk at the podium today. Not Jayden Daniels. If Daniels is not ruled out Friday, he’ll talk then.

The Commanders took the same approach last year ahead of the Bears game when Daniels had a rib injury. We know how that one ended,” Jhabvala wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Daniels ended up playing in that game against the Bears, which turned into a thriller when he got the Commanders a win after a Hail Mary touchdown at the end. There's a chance that Daniels can still play in Week 3, and he still has a few days to show up to practice before the game. Head coach Dan Quinn noted that Daniels had a good rehab session and threw out on the field, but he won't practice today, according to Jhabvala. In the event that he doesn't practice or play, Mariota will be ready.

In three relief appearances for the Commanders last season, Mariota completed 34 of his 44 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns. The last time he started was in 2022 with the Atlanta Falcons. The Washington Commanders are already missing their starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, due to a dislocated left elbow. In the third quarter of Sunday's game in Madrid, backup QB Marcus Mariota went down after a play and needed attention from trainers. It could press QB3 Josh Johnson into action. Johnson is about as well traveled as any quarterback could be (14 different teams), and he's a veteran presence with some solid athletic skills, but the Commanders certainly wouldn't want to spend a long...

Mariota was injured in the third quarter against the Miami Dolphins. The Commanders’ turnaround from a four-win team to the NFC Championship Game last year has made them a potential Super Bowl contender overnight. Coming into 2025, they are one of the most dangerous teams, thanks to improvements on defense and continuing refinement of the weapons around superstar franchise QB Jayden Daniels. Unfortunately, the goodwill from last season lasted just one week as they ran into a buzzsaw in Week 2 in the form of the Green Bay Packers. Being dominated, their record stood at 1-1, albeit with a winnable game against the Las Vegas Raiders on the horizon in Week 3. However, in a shocking development, a different second-round pick will be the starting quarterback for Washington in that game.

But why is Marcus Mariota getting the starter nod? During their 27-18 Week 2 loss to Green Bay, a stifling Packers defense featuring EDGE Micah Parsons did a number on Daniels. He finished with just 200 passing yards and two touchdowns while completing less than 60% of his passing attempts. His ability to run the ball, too, didn’t create much of a difference, as he added just 17 yards on the ground on seven carries. A major reason for that drop off turned out to be a knee injury that lingered for Daniels throughout the week. Washington Commanders starting quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome elbow injury during Sunday night’s 38–14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

In his absence, quarterback Marcus Mariota has stepped in, tasked with leading Washington until Daniels is able to return. A look at the video of the injury and many feared that Daniels would be out for the season. Daniels will "miss several games" per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport - but it looks like the injury may not be as bad as initially expected. Enter Mariota - who has been a dependable backup and a strong mentor for Daniels, providing leadership both on and off the field. Now, the question is whether the former Oregon Duck can rise to the occasion and guide the Commanders to wins, starting with an upset victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. With Washington eager to bounce back, all eyes will be on Mariota to see if he can deliver when it matters most.

One NFL insider has his doubts... NFL on CBS discussed what Washington is capable of with Mariota at the helm. The take? Without Daniels, the Commanders are not playoff contenders. LANDOVER, Md. — Marcus Mariota smiled coyly as he recounted the moment he barreled across the sideline and right over his head coach, who went flying backward with such force that his headset flew off before...

“I felt so bad,” the veteran quarterback said. “I was trying to hold him up as much as I could.” It was late in the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday when Mariota, in his first start for the Commanders and his first start of any kind since 2022, took a... A run-of-the-mill shove that turned, well, bloody. Commanders players rushed to Dan Quinn’s side as the coach quickly popped up with a bloodied nose, shook his head to try to regain his faculties, then slowly made his way back to the... Moments later, as a 56-yard field goal attempt by kicker Matt Gay sailed through the uprights, Quinn raised his fist in celebration as blood dripped along the front of his nose, then jogged back...

The vast majority of the buzz leading up to this week's game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Commanders surrounded Washington's leading man. Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels (knee) will be relegated to the Commanders' sideline with Marcus Mariota stepping in for his 75th career regular-season start. Daniels attempted to work his way back to the lineup and threw daily before adding speed work on Friday, but head coach Dan Quinn said the Commanders are opting for the safe route with... "We said at the beginning that we were going to be very diligent on his return to play and make sure that we didn't miss any steps," Quinn said. "So we're going to be smart, not just fast. He's a player that wants to do everything all the time.

That's who he is as a competitor, which I love. But that's how we'll roll." Daniels will miss his first NFL start as the Commanders (1-1) take on the Raiders (1-1) Sunday afternoon in Landover, Md., where Mariota is in for a reunion vibe. He played for the Raiders and the Las Vegas offensive coordinator is Chip Kelly, Mariota's college coach at Oregon. "Anytime he's asked to play or practice or even on scout team, he's been phenomenal," Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. "So, he treats it like a pro as a leader on the team despite not being the starter, which is hard to do and can't say enough good things about him.

So, if he has to go, I'm sure he will be ready." Marcus Mariota was an underrated member of the 2024 Washington Commanders. Signed to be the backup quarterback to rookie Jayden Daniels, Mariota didn't expect to play much, but instead serve as a mentor and sounding board to Daniels. That's what happened. Daniels and Mariota grew close, with the star rookie explaining how important Mariota was to him last season. Meanwhile, Mariota enjoyed passing along the lessons of a fellow former No.

2 overall pick to the eager rookie. Mariota did get to play last season and was pivotal in two of Washington's 12 regular-season wins. In a Week 8 game against Carolina, Daniels was injured in the first half, and Mariota relieved him, completing 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards with two touchdowns, while also rushing for 34... The Commanders won the game, 40-7. In the regular-season finale at Dallas, Mariota played the second half against the Cowboys after the first-team offense struggled. Mariota completed 15 of 18 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns.

He ran for 56 yards on five carries, including a critical 33-yard run on fourth down to keep the eventual game-winning drive alive. A few plays later, Mariota found Terry McLaurin in the end zone to give Washington the come-from-behind win. Mariota enjoyed his one season in Washington but understood there was no path forward for him to start. Still, the Commanders wanted him back, and Mariota wanted to come back, too. This offseason, he signed a one-year deal to return and back up Daniels for another season. The Washington Commanders are going to need to rattle off some wins to save their season.

They're going to have to do it with backup quarterback Marcus Mariota as the new starter in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. Mariota's new stint starts Sunday in Week 10. The Commanders take on the Detroit Lions in the late afternoon window. In a bit of irony, Mariota was once the No. 2 overall pick, just like the player he is replacing, Daniels. The Commanders and their fanbase will hope he can play like a guy once drafted that high.

Commanders Marcus Mariota Taking Jayden Daniels Place At Podium What

People Also Search

The Washington Commanders May Be Without Their Starting Quarterback, Jayden

The Commanders Took The Same Approach Last Year Ahead Of

In Three Relief Appearances For The Commanders Last Season, Mariota

Mariota Was Injured In The Third Quarter Against The Miami

But Why Is Marcus Mariota Getting The Starter Nod? During