Jayden Daniels out for Commanders-Raiders with Knee Injury, Marcus Mariota to Start

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will officially miss his first game of the 2025 season.

Head coach Dan Quinn announced on Friday that Marcus Mariota will start this week against the Las Vegas Raiders as Daniels continues to recover from a knee injury.

Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, has thrown for 433 yards and three touchdowns, adding 85 yards on the ground.

After the Commanders’ Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Daniels was diagnosed with a sprained knee, though NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted that it was  “not a long-term injury.”

There was faint hope that Daniels might be able to play against the Raiders after he missed the first two days of practice. Quinn said on Friday that this star quarterback went through some speed work and did throw a little bit, but he’s “just not there all the way.”

Daniels’ absence opens the door for Mariota to make his first start since the 2022 season when he was with the Atlanta Falcons. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner appeared in three games for the Commanders last season, completing 34 of 44 attempts for 364 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Mariota and the Commanders will host the Raiders at Northwest Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.