Commanders confirm Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota decision for Colts game

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, quarterback Jayden Daniels suggested that he could possibly return to the Washington Commanders' starting lineup for this coming Sunday's game between the 1-2 Commanders and the 1-2 Indianapolis Colts in London. 

On Friday, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced what many outsiders viewed as an expected decision regarding the club's Week 4 depth chart. 

Jayden Daniels will get another week to recover

Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network/ESPN and Marshall Kramsky of WUSA9, Quinn confirmed that Daniels will remain unavailable through at least the Colts game. Thus, backup Marcus Mariota will get the nod for the matchup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

The news is hardly surprising, as Quinn said earlier in the week that he would not "put [Daniels] out there before he's ready." Quinn also noted at that time that it was "important to trust the process" regarding Daniels' health beyond the Indianapolis game. 

Daniels hasn't played since he suffered a dislocated left elbow in Week 2 of the season on Sept. 20. On Sept. 27, Mariota started against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and completed 19-of-31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns to help the Commanders earn an upset 33-31 home win.

What's next for Jayden Daniels, Commanders after Colts game?

After the Commanders return from London, they will start preparing for their Week 5 home game against the rival New York Giants on Oct. 11. It sounds like there is a decent chance that Daniels could start versus Big Blue. 

"It's a huge positive step for us and for him," Quinn said about Daniels returning to the practice field in a limited fashion. "We'll assess where we are next week, when he gets a full week of practice all the way through. It's typical of him, working incredibly hard to get back, doing everything he can behind the scenes to do that as fast as he can." 

Daniels will wear a brace during future games that is not expected to alter his throwing motion.

Shortly after Quinn offered his update, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Commanders as 3.5-point underdogs against the Colts.