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Marcus Mariota's performance may give the Commanders a difficult decision regarding Jayden Daniels' return
© Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Marcus Mariota's performance may give the Commanders a difficult decision regarding Jayden Daniels' return

Originally posted on A to Z Sports  |  By Josh Taylor  |  Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:29 AM ET

The Washington Commanders had to turn to veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota as Jayden Daniels suffered a sprained knee, and his performance went exactly as expected on Sunday.

The coaching staff had all the confidence in the world that Mariota would operate the offense at a high level, and he did just that by dropping 41 points on the Las Vegas Raiders.

Of course, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury committed to the run game again, but Mariota's poise, leadership, and decision-making gave the Commanders something to think about this week as Daniels continues to recover.

Marcus Mariota operates at a high level

You never know when your last opportunity will be in the NFL as a backup quarterback, and Mariota made the most of it once again, as he did last season when he was called on. The offense looked as good as it has all season, and there was never a moment when it felt like things weren't clicking. Mariota spoke after the game about his fit in the offense and how comfortable he feels in it.

“I love this system," Mariota said. "I really feel like I have a great connection with Kliff [Kingsbury], Tavita [Pritchard], and the rest of the offensive staff. When we come down and we have these moments through the week, we’re all just communicating what we like and what we don’t like. We understand that there’s gonna be moments where it’s not gonna work out the way that we anticipated, but we never blink. It’s such a great, healthy environment for all parties involved. I’ve just really enjoyed my time here. Every opportunity I get, I just try to make the most of it.”

Don't rule Mariota out against the Atlanta Falcons yet

Mariota's play against the Raiders may give the Commanders a tough decision when it comes to Daniels' recovery timeline. NFL insider Adam Schefter stated on the Pat McAfee Show that the Commanders may not rush to bring Daniels back from his knee injury, which the team has been very smart and careful with since it happened.

Head coach Dan Quinn addressed Daniels' injury status on Monday for the first time since the Raiders game.

"We're still listing him as day to day," Quinn said. "Then, as we get into Wednesday, I'll be more qualified to hit on what types of practice and what we can hit on to go. So, he went through some things today, some more tomorrow, and that'll lead us up into Wednesday, but when we get together prior to practice, I'll have a better idea for the plan. We've not nailed that down for the week as of yet.”

Quinn was also asked if Mariota's performance had any impact on how fast Daniels comes back, and he, of course, gave the coach answer.

"I was probably one of the least surprised people in the stadium that he [Mariota] played well," Quinn added. "I just see him, I know what he is and how he goes, but as far as tying one to the other, that's not part of the deal. We just have a lot of trust in him and how we would go about it, but man, we'll lean into the medical people and where we're at and what to do. But that type of preparation for him, it's just that kind of steady, consistent way, but they're not tied together to answer your question.”

We won't have a real update on Daniels' injury yet, but he was working through passing drills and speed drills on Friday, with some concerns still with his lateral movements. Quinn said they will be smart and not fast with the knee injury, and it wouldn't surprise me at all if Mariota gets the start against a Falcons team that just got embarrassed in a 30-0 loss against the Carolina Panthers.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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