Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will be the Commanders’ starter for their home opener Sunday against the Seahawks, coach Dan Quinn announced on Monday. Mariota will replace Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his left elbow in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys.
Quinn said Daniels had some imaging done on the elbow Monday and will consult specialists this week as the team maps out a timeline for his return.
Daniels went down on the final play of the first half in Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Cowboys. The quarterback’s foot was stepped on by left guard Chris Paul and he stumbled out of the snap, dislocating his elbow in the fall. He stayed down on the turf for an extended period as his teammates headed to the locker room for the halftime break.
When asked Monday about the level of concern with Daniels’ elbow after previous injuries involving the quarterback’s left arm, Quinn said he just feels bad that his quarterback keeps having to deal with these setbacks.
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“[It] sucks for him,” Quinn said. “I know how much these guys put into it, and so when there’s setbacks like this you just want to stand by him as close as you can on this detour to getting back onto the field.”
As far as replacing Daniels, Quinn said that with Mariota being in his third season in Washington, he doesn’t foresee any “pullback” to the playbook when the 12-year veteran steps in against Seattle.
“We’re fortunate in that way, that he’s put in all the same timelines and guidelines with the players,” Quinn said of Mariota. “So it won’t be exactly the same, but fortunately they’ll have a lot of similarities.”
Sunday’s somber scene was similar to one from last November when Daniels first dislocated his elbow in a 38-14 Week 9 loss to the Seahawks. The Commanders were down 38-7 when Daniels’ elbow was bent back during a fourth-quarter tackle, leading to questions about why Washington’s star player was still on the field.
Daniels missed four weeks with the dislocation, returning Dec. 7 to face the Vikings. He was unable to finish that game, leaving in the second half after landing on the same elbow. With Washington no longer in playoff contention, he was ruled out for the final four games of 2025.
That decision marked the end of a nightmarish sophomore season for Daniels, who ultimately missed 10 games with injuries. In his absence, Mariota threw for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 61% of his passes. The Commanders went 2-6 in the eight games Mariota started.
In replacement duty on Sunday, Mariota went 11 of 16 for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Just two weeks into a new year, Daniels is the second key starter to go down for Washington. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil is expected to miss most of the season with a torn triceps.
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