The Washington Commanders don’t have a quarterback controversy between Marcus Mariota and Jayden Daniels, but there is an argument that perhaps they should.
Daniels was 0-2 to start the campaign before suffering his third elbow injury in less than two seasons. Mariota stepped in during Week 3 and made several key plays to lead Washington to its first victory of the year, which happened to come over the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on the day their own starting quarterback returned from injury.
It is complicated to say that Mariota saved the Commanders’ 2026 campaign with the victory, though losing three straight to start any season puts the playoffs out of reach in the vast majority of historical cases.
Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick and the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, did not go on the injured reserve list (IR) and will not have in-season surgery to repair his non-throwing elbow to guard against further dislocation issues. That means he could be back in the lineup in a week or two.
Marcus Mariota Believes Jayden Daniels Should Start for Commanders as Soon as He’s Healthy
However, given his injury history and Mariota’s play against Seattle, it is perhaps fair to at least ask if Mariota shouldn’t be given a little rope to run with the momentum he has helped build inside the locker room.
But if you ask Mariota himself about that very topic, which a reporter did on Wednesday, September 30, you will find that he is among the biggest Daniels’ supporters in the entire organization.
“At the end of the day, I think if he’s healthy and he can play, he should play. This is his team,” Mariota said. “And the more that we can help support that and give him all the tools that he needs to be successful, that’s what our roles are.”
Jayden Daniels Practicing in Limited Capacity Ahead of Commanders-Colts Game
The selflessness and genuine quality of Mariota’s commentary speaks to both the leadership culture in the locker room and the faith that the team as a whole maintains in Daniels, which are both excellent signs moving forward.
Another positive sign came out of head coach Dan Quinn’s interview on Wednesday ahead of his team’s London-based matchup against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4.
“Today will be more of a jog format, but if it had been a full practice, [Daniels] would have been limited,” Quinn told media members.
Daniels’ practicing in a limited capacity obviously is not ideal, but that he is practicing at all so soon after such an ugly injury is reason for optimism.
It appears as though Mariota will get at least one more start against Indy across the pond this weekend, after which Daniels’ return probably comes more seriously into play. The Commanders face the New York Giants at home in Week 5 before traveling west to play the San Francisco 49ers in the following game.
Washington clearly envisions Daniels returning in time to start against the 49ers on October 19, if not earlier, as the team would have otherwise placed him on IR and cleared a roster spot across what would have been at least a four-week absence.
Commanders’ Marcus Mariota Gets Honest on Jayden Daniels, QB1 Role