Marcus Mariota Starts Week 3 for 0-2 Commanders as Jayden Daniels Faces Elbow Specialists

Q: With Jayden Daniels suffering a hauntingly familiar elbow dislocation, could an ailing Marcus Mariota actually save Washington's season?

Yes—but only as a stabilizer, not a true replacement for Jayden Daniels. Washington’s immediate reality is that Daniels has again dislocated the same non-throwing left elbow, with no fracture on X-ray but more imaging still pending. That history matters more than Sunday’s initial test results: he missed several weeks with the same injury last season, returned, then re-aggravated it and lost the rest of the year. That makes a multi-game absence a realistic concern, even if the team has not put a timetable on it. Mariota gives Washington a credible bridge. He finished the Dallas game 11-for-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown, and his experience means the Commanders do not have to reinvent the offense. He still offers mobility, can push the ball downfield, and has shown he can function in relief. If he protects the ball and Washington leans on a simpler game plan, he can keep them competitive. But “save” is a strong word. Mariota himself has dealt with a sprained MCL recently, and the quarterback room behind him is thin, with Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman as developmental depth. More importantly, Daniels is the player who elevates the offense with dual-threat explosiveness. Mariota can keep the season from collapsing; he is unlikely to replicate Daniels’ ceiling. So the best-case scenario for Washington is not Mariota rescuing the season on his own. It is Mariota holding the line, avoiding mistakes, and buying enough time for Daniels to return without another setback.

3 articles · Updated · NFL.com · Sep 21

Dan Quinn said Marcus Mariota will start Washington's Week 3 home opener against Seattle after Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow in Sunday's 37-20 loss at Dallas.
Monday imaging confirmed Daniels will miss at least one week, and the third-year quarterback will see specialists before the Commanders set any return timeline.
Mariota replaced Daniels after halftime and went 11-of-16 for 111 yards and a touchdown; Washington has not discussed adding another quarterback behind him and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis.
The injury is Daniels' second dislocation of the same elbow in two years after he missed three games following a Week 9 injury last season, with Washington then heading to London in Week 4.