Marcus Mariota had to leave the field early against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4, adding to the injury woes on the Washington Commanders‘ quarterback depth chart. With Jayden Daniels already sidelined, the team had to turn to QB3 Athan Kaliakmanis to lead the offense. But the Commanders may not need to start the rookie against the New York Giants in Week 5.
The injury update on Mariota isn’t encouraging, with Molly McGrath of ESPN reporting that the 32-year-old aggravated his MCL injury. The veteran quarterback will have tests but is expected to miss some time.
While this is a huge blow for head coach Dann Quinn, there’s hope that Daniels, who suffered a dislocated left elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, returns in Week 5 against the Giants.
Injuries in the Commanders QB room
Mariota was doing just fine. In fact, he led Washington to an unexpected win over the reigning Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks before his injury against the Colts.
Having Daniels back next week would come just in time for the Commanders, who need to bounce back after their trip to England. Even though Kaliakmanis showed flashes of his potential and came up with a couple of great plays (including a 47-yard passing touchdown to Treylon Burks), he also faced some challenges in his NFL debut, with Washington losing 13-30.
Facing a division rival that is above them in the NFC East standings, the Commanders will prefer to avoid rookie mistakes in Week 5. With Daniels, the team will probably host the Giants with more confidence.
Key takeaways
- An aggravated MCL injury will cause Marcus Mariota to miss time.
- A 47-yard touchdown pass to Treylon Burks highlighted Athan Kaliakmanis’s debut.
- Week 5 against the Giants could see Jayden Daniels return from injury.
