The Washington Commanders have a rehab process that they believe in. It's catered to whatever the players need to get healthy, and head coach Dan Quinn makes it a point to say that the team will not miss a step in their progression.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who has missed most of the training camp, is stepping in the right direction toward being ready for Week 1.
"That's the plan," Mariota said after Thursday's practice. "So, I'm kind of in that process to return to play, and part of that process is to come out here, start doing individual work, and then slowly get kind of acclimated into the team setting."
Mariota has been dealing with a lower leg strain that has kept him out of practice. It is unclear exactly when the injury occurred, but Mariota went from participating in only individual drills to being completely absent for weeks. He made his return to practice during Wednesday's practice but limited his participation to individual drills. Over the past two days, he has worked on the side field while the rest of the team has gone through team drills.
Quinn did not seem concerned about Mariota's injury when asked about it earlier in camp, and Mariota echoed that sentiment on Thursday, saying that it's the type of injury that "just requires rest."
"For me and the entire staff, we all got on the same page and [I] just appreciate the fact that they were willing just to kind of let me take some time to get it right," Mariota said.