With Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels still recovering from the dislocated left elbow he suffered in Week 2, backup Marcus Mariota will make his second straight start on Sunday. Mariota, who helped the Commanders to a 33-31 upset over the Seahawks in Week 3, will try to get his team to .500 in a London-based meeting with the Colts.
Even with another Mariota-led win on Sunday, the Commanders will turn back to Daniels if he is ready to play in Week 5. Daniels, who traveled to London and returned to practice on a limited basis this week, is working to come back as quickly as possible, per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. The third-year veteran could start next Sunday against the Giants if he logs a full week of practice and shows he can function with a brace on his elbow, Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reports.
Daniels suffered the same injury to his elbow last year and initially sat out three games. However, he aggravated it when he returned in Week 14 and missed the rest of the season. The Commanders are not concerned this will be a lingering issue, according to Jones, who writes that the club “believes the risk of reinjury is incredibly low thanks to the brace.”
With Daniels out for 10 games and No. 1 wide receiver Terry McLaurin on the shelf for seven last season, the Commanders nosedived from fifth in scoring and seventh in yards in 2024 to 22nd in both categories. That doesn’t seem to bode well this week for Washington, which may also go without McClaurin versus Indianapolis’ **Sauce Gardner**-led secondary. McLaurin, who is listed as questionable after injuring his hamstring in practice on Friday, is unlikely to play, sources told veteran Commanders reporter Ben Standig. The team will make a final decision on McLaurin on Sunday, John Keim of ESPN relays.
McClaurin had his best performance of the season during a six-catch, 77-yard, one-touchdown day against the Seahawks. Other than McClaurin, Stefon Diggs and third-round rookie Antonio Williams, the Commanders haven’t gotten much pass-catching production from anyone. Those three are their only targets with at least 100 receiving yards this year. McLaurin leads the team with 141.