Missing one game can be looked at as an annoyance. It’s a given in the NFL, where everyone gets hurt eventually, that people will miss a game here or there.
Missing 2 games in a room? That’s cause for concern.
The Washington Commanders announced they will be without superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels for a second consecutive game in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons with a sprained knee.
Daniels missed Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders but backup quarterback Marcus Mariota stepped in to lead the Commanders to a 41-24 win as Washington improved to 2-1 overall.
Missing Daniels was just one dose of brutal injury news for the Commanders, who will also be missing NFL All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin with a quad injury.
McLaurin seemed on the verge of having a breakout game after catching 3 passes for a season high 74 yards against the Raiders.
“Jayden Daniels is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Falcons due to his knee injury,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on September 26. Commanders QB Marcus Mariota will start against his former Falcons team.
“Commanders QB Jayden Daniels (knee) and WR Terry McLaurin (quad) are out for Sunday vs. the Atlanta Falcons,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov wrote on his official X account.
Another Revenge Game for Mariota
For Mariota, the opportunity to start again represents a second consecutive revenge game by facing a second consecutive team he used to play for.
This one would almost certainly mean a lot more.
While Mariota spent 2 seasons with the Raiders as the backup quarterback to Derek Carr in 2020 and 2021, he came to the Falcons in 2022 on a 2-year, $18.75 million contract in 2022 to be the starter after Atlanta traded longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts.
Mariota allowed the Netflix series “Quarterback” to follow him with its cameras that season and the entire world got to watch his steady descent until the team actually benched him late in the season in favor of Desmond Ridder and with the Falcons still in playoff contention. He finished the season on injured reserve and was released by Atlanta following that one season.
Mariota spent 2023 as a backup on the Philadelphia Eagles and has spent the last 2 seasons with the Commanders as Daniels’ backup, signing a 1-year, $6 million contract in 2024 and a 1-year, $8 million contract in 2025.
Trying to Replace McLaurin’s Production in Lineup
The Week 3 win was the second time in the last 2 seasons where Mariota has stepped in and played well to lead the Commanders to a win. In 2024, Daniels hurt his ribs running the ball in the first quarter of Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers and Mariota came on to lead the Commanders to a 41-7 victory.
Replacing McLaurin in the passing game could prove to be much more difficult.
While Mariota will need to lean heavily on veterans in wide receiver Deebo Samuel and tight end Zach Ertz, there needs to be another option.
The most likely candidate to help fill that void could be second year wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, a 2024 third round pick (No. 100 overall) who had just 18 receptions for 168 yards as a rookie but scored his first career touchdown against the Raiders on a 43-yard catch and run from Mariota.
Commanders Dealt Double Dose of Brutal Injury News in Week 4