The Washington Commanders won’t have starting quarterback Jayden Daniels for a 2nd consecutive week as he continues to rehab his dislocated left elbow, with backup Marcus Mariota set to start against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4 in London.
“Commanders coach Dan Quinn made it official, as Marcus Mariota will start once again,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on Friday. “He’ll face the Colts, with Jayden Daniels not quite ready.”
Mariota led the Commanders to an upset win over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3 after Daniels dislocated his elbow in Week 2.
“Jayden Daniels has been wearing a larger brace on that left elbow and has been pushing to get on the field,” NFL on Prime’s James Palmer wrote on his official X account. “This felt a little quick for him to play Sunday, but he did practice this week and next week now looks like another step.”
“Dan Quinn said Jayden Daniels will be OUT on Sunday,” The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala wrote on her official X account. “Marcus Mariota will start again … To be clear, this means Jayden Daniels will not be the emergency 3rd QB on Sunday. He will be OUT out.”
Daniels Suffered Gruesome Injury Against Cowboys
Daniels was carted off the field at AT&T Stadium following a gruesome arm injury against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Daniels suffered the injury right before halftime, prompting an explicit response from Fox Sports color commentator and 7-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady.
“Oh (expletive),” Brady said as the injury was replayed.
Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, missed 10 games due to injuries in 2025 as the Commanders went from a 12-5 record in 2024 to a 5-12 record in 2025.
“Jayden Daniels appears to have re-dislocated his left elbow again here after getting his ankle stepped on by his LG,” Dr. Jesse Morse wrote on his official X account. “This is the same elbow his dislocated in 2025 causing him to miss 3 games and then reinjured and missed the final 4 games of the season.”
Commanders Shut Daniels Down Late in 2025 Season
The Commanders officially shut down Daniel for the final 3 games of the 2025 regular season — a move that ended a nightmare season in which their star player and his team fell woefully short of expectations from the start.
Daniels’ 2025 season will officially go in the books with him missing 10 games due to a variety of injuries: a sprained knee, a pulled hamstring, and a dislocated left elbow, which he re-injured in a Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Commanders Name Starting QB for Week 4 Game Against Colts