The NFL didn’t do the Las Vegas Raiders any favors with their early-season schedule. They’re about to have their second early-morning East Coast game in three weeks and are coming off a short week, while the Washington Commanders got extra rest.
However, the Raiders will have one major advantage in Week 3: They’ll have their starting quarterback. There have been questions about star quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ status all week. He’s been dealing with a knee issue that kept him out of practice all week.
Head coach Dan Quinn said that Daniels wouldn’t play if he didn’t practice, and he missed the team’s last practice of the week on Friday. The coach confirmed that Marcus Mariota will get the start in Week 3.
Daniels has emerged as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, so this is a huge blow for Washington.
“We will just kind of go through the whole process with him and we’re not going to miss it either,” Quinn told reporters on Monday, via The Athletic. “With Jayden, we know how important he is and so we’re just going to kind of take it (slowly). That’s why I truly say it’s day by day to make sure that he can absolutely be himself.”
Pete Carroll Talks Commanders QB Situation
Even with it looking unlikely that Daniels would be able to go, the Raiders have been preparing for him. They’ll now be facing off against Mariota, who played in Las Vegas in 2020 and 2021.
Head coach Pete Carroll said earlier in the week that the Raiders were ready for the possibility that Mariota would play.
“Well, we have to prepare for him playing, and the bet is probably that he will,” Carroll said Wednesday. “They might not practice him until later in the week, but we’re going to count him going. … We have a lot of background about Marcus on the staff and all that, so we know what his capabilities are, we think, and so we’re playing for both guys, but primarily for Jayden.”
Mariota Ready to Play
Mariota shouldn’t have much extra juice facing the Raiders. He was a backup for two years, and they paid him a lot of money to fill that role. That said, it’s always fun for a player to face his former team.
Mariota has been staying ready and is hoping that he can fill in Daniels’ shoes for at least one game.
“It comes down to, if you feel like you can do what you normally do, then go ahead,” Mariota said. “I’ve been in situations like this where you try to fight through it and maybe you’re not playing like yourself, and it is hard. You want to be out there for your team and tough it out. We understand Jayden is going to do everything in his power to play.
“We always tell him, just be you, and if you feel through the course of the week you get back to that point, great. We’ll support you to be ready to roll. If you need a week, that’s OK, I’ll be ready to go, too.”
Commanders Make Decision on Jayden Daniels Ahead of Raiders Matchup