Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota will get his second start in place of the injured Jayden Daniels on Sunday when his side face the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Head coach Dan Quinn announced the decision on Friday after practice at the team’s hotel accommodations outside London.
Daniels returned to practice this week after dislocating his elbow in Week Two against the Dallas Cowboys. He’s been wearing a protective brace and had expressed no concerns about further damage, but the Commanders will hold him out for at least one more game.
Daniels returned to practice with the Commanders after dislocating his elbow
“[Daniels] had a great week. It was awesome to have him back on the field in a limited fashion,” Quinn said. “He’ll be out. Marcus will start.”
Quinn called Daniels’ return to practice “a huge positive step for him and for us.”
“We’ll assess where we are next week when we get to a full week of practice all the way through,” the coach said.
Last week, Mariota threw three touchdown passes in the 33-31 win over the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks.
Daniels’ elbow dislocation was the second in as many seasons for Daniels, who missed most of the second half of last season with the same injury.
The third-year quarterback, who led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season, had said on Thursday he was preparing mentally to start against the Colts and wasn’t worried about re-injuring the elbow.
“That’s what the brace is for,” Daniels said.
Mariota will start in his second straight game for the Commanders
The Commanders host the New York Giants on Sunday, October 11. The team has a bye in Week Seven.
“Certainly, anytime you can practice, that’s a big deal,” Quinn said. “So for him to get back, that was a big step for us. Typical for him, he’s more ready than you’d expect. That’s just kind of how he is.”
Quinn was asked what he needs to see to put Daniels back on the field, and said: “It’s really just like an entire group medical performance.
“Where he’s at, the practice part was a big piece of that today. But next week we’re planning for him to get a full week of practice. That would be a big deal for us.”
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