The Washington Commanders suffered their third defeat of the 2026 campaign on Sunday morning, but perhaps more importantly, they lost quarterback Marcus Mariota along the way due to a leg injury. With Mariota filling in for the injured Jayden Daniels, his departure forced seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis into action against the Indianapolis Colts.
While Daniels could return in Week 5, having Mariota as an insurance policy was a crucial piece of Washington’s plan. Losing Mariota in Week 4 obviously hurts, but according to a new report, it sounds like he is going to miss some time with his new ailment, which could force the Commanders to look for help at the quarterback position.
Commanders’ Marcus Mariota Set to Miss Time With MCL Injury
For the second straight year, Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow, as he went down with the ailment on the final snap of the first half in the team’s Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Daniels has opted to avoid undergoing season-ending surgery to repair his elbow, but he still has had to miss some time in order to get himself healthy.
Mariota has proven in recent years that he is a capable backup for Daniels under center, and he immediately led the team to an upset victory over the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. He got off to a strong start against the Colts on Sunday, but he got rolled up on in the first quarter and was promptly forced out of the game.
With Daniels’ status up in the air, that makes Mariota’s injury situation all the more important moving forward. However, it sounds like he is going to miss a couple of weeks recovering from his own injury woes, which means that Kaliakmanis could be forced into a spot start in Week 5.
Commanders QB Marcus Mariota aggravated his MCL injury and now will have tests, per Molly McGrath. Expect him to miss some time,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared in a post on X. That said, there is hope that QB Jayden Daniels (elbow) is back next week.
Commanders’ Quarterback Situation Heading Into Week 5 is Dire
Mariota appears set to miss Week 5 at the very least, so if Daniels also can’t go because of his elbow injury, the team is going to be up a creek without a paddle. Kaliakmanis held his own once he replaced Mariota against the Colts, but with a 1-3 record, time is already running out for Washington.
It’s still relatively early in the season, but now might be the time for the Commanders to try and speed up Daniels’ injury rehab process in an effort to get him back on the field for what may be a must-win Week 5 contest. After getting taken down by Indy on Sunday in London, Washington will square off against the New York Giants in a big divisional matchup when they return to action next weekend.
Commanders Get Discouraging Marcus Mariota Injury News After Week 4 Departure