Commanders announce QB plans for Week 8

Jayden Daniels‘ rocky second season will endure another absence. Due to a hamstring strain suffered in Week 7, the standout Commanders quarterback will take a seat for at least a game. Marcus Mariota will draw the start against the Chiefs on Monday night, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Daniels missed Weeks 3 and 4 with a knee injury and Washington went 1-1 with Mariota under center. Daniels played well upon his return, but did not finish the Commanders’ Week 7 loss.

In his first start, Mariota led the offense to 41 points against a below-average Raiders defense. His performance dipped in his next game, but the Commanders still put up 27 points against the Falcons, who have allowed the second-fewest yards and eighth-fewest points this season. The Chiefs, Mariota’s next opponent, rank among the top five teams in both categories in another impressive season from Steve Spagnuolo‘s unit. A hot Kansas City offense could also put up a lot of points against a Commanders defense that has allowed at least 24 points in five of their seven games.

An MRI on Monday revealed that Daniels did not suffer a long-term injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but it still seems like a multi-game absence is on the table. The Commanders play the Lions and the Seahawks in Weeks 7 and 8 before traveling to Madrid to play the Dolphins. That trip could factor into Washington’s approach to Daniels’ return. If he misses their next two games, the team may not want him to return amid the hassles and hiccups of an overseas game. With a bye the next week, though, Daniels’ would not be able to play until Week 11, giving him enough time to heal but missing two games against NFC contenders and an unpredictable matchup in Spain. Those could all be tough matchups for Mariota.

Injury concerns were one of the pre-draft knocks on Daniels due to his lean build and somewhat reckless running style. He played through multiple injuries as a rookie and started all 17 games, but he will now miss his third game with his second injury of the year. That could do serious damage to the Commanders’ playoff chances, especially with what could be a tough post-bye schedule.