The Washington Commanders are moving forward with Marcus Mariota as their starting quarterback with Jayden Daniels suffering another elbow injury.
It remains unclear how long this latest elbow ailment might sideline Daniels. But NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Tuesday he expects Mariota “to start multiple games.
With that possibility, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox argued Wednesday morning the Commanders should acquire additional quarterback depth with Mac Jones.
“Jones went 5-3 as a starter while throwing for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025. He’s a terrific insurance policy for a team with championship aspirations, but he’s also set to be a 2027 free agent. He’s almost certain to depart for a starting opportunity next year, and at some point, offers for Jones may be too great to ignore,” wrote Knox.
The Commanders could be one of those teams if Daniels is out for an extended period of time this season.
Commanders Urged to Target QB Mac Jones on Trade Market
There are a lot of moving parts to a potential quarterback trade for the Commanders. That’s particularly the case if they are going to target Jones.
Knox projected Jones’s trade value to be a 2027 second-round pick. The analyst made that projection based on the fact the 49ers were reportedly seeking a second-round choice for Jones over the offseason.
That’s a high price to pay for an “insurance policy” quarterback. To give up a second-round pick, the Commanders would have to believe one of two things. They believe Jones could save their 2026 season or the Commanders would see Jones as their future starter.
As Knox indicated, Jones will be a free agent in March. He’s played well enough to garner interest on the market as a starter. That means he’s unlikely to re-sign in Washington without the guarantee to at least compete for the starting role.
So, to trade for and sign Jones, the Commanders would have to decide this fall Daniels is no longer part of their future.
In the other scenario, the Commanders acquire Jones as a rental. That only makes sense if Washington is a playoff team with its biggest need behind center.
At 0-2 after two weeks, the Commanders being a playoff team is about as likely as Washington deciding to completely move on from Daniels before he recovers from his latest injury.
Jones Trade Probably Doesn’t Make Sense for Washington
The potential for Jones to land in Washington is a fun scenario to explore. But, it’s not very probable for the plethora of reasons explained above.
If the Commanders do add a quarterback in a trade before the November 10 deadline, it would make a lot more sense for that signal-caller to be under contract for 2027. That quarterback could compete with Mariota for playing time the rest of this season while Daniels is sidelined. Then, the quarterback could move into the team’s primary backup role next year.
Seattle Seahawks developmental quarterback Jalen Milroe fits that description. Whether Milroe becomes available, though, could depend on if Sam Darnold returns healthy and remains in the Seahawks starting lineup. Darnold left Week 1 with an injury but could return this Sunday.
The good news is the Commanders have time to sort all of this out. The NFL trade deadline is still almost seven weeks away.
How Daniels progresses in his recovery and what the team does on the field will influence whether the Commanders could target Jones on the trade market.
NFL Trade Pitch Sends Commanders ‘Terrific Insurance’ After Jayden Daniels Injury