Commanders’ Mariota ‘ready to go’ if Daniels can’t

ASHBURN, Va. — Washington Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota has been in this spot before. So he said if Jayden Daniels can’t play Sunday against Las Vegas, he’ll be “ready to go.”

Daniels did not practice Wednesday because of a sprained left knee suffered Thursday in a loss at Green Bay. Coach Dan Quinn considered Daniels “day-to-day” and said he had a good start to the week in terms of his rehabilitation process.

Quinn also said they don’t want Daniels to return until he can be himself on the field in terms of playing style.

“We recognize the importance of the person and player and what he means for the franchise,” Quinn said. “We’re going to be smart, not just fast. This is a player obviously wanting to do everything all the time.”

Washington will provide a further update on Daniels’ status Friday. In the meantime, Mariota will get all the snaps with the first-team offense — as he did before Week 8 against Chicago last season when Daniels dealt with a rib injury. Daniels ended up playing in that game, capping his day with a 52-yard Hail Mary pass to stun the Bears.

“My routine stays the same,” said Mariota, who re-signed with Washington in the offseason. “It just kind of creates that normal procedure for me, and it allows me just to go out there and play and not have to worry about, OK, I got to do this extra, I got to do that. I just kind stick to my process and allow that process to work.”

Last season, Mariota played in relief of an injured Daniels in two games: wins over Carolina, when Daniels hurt his rib, and Dallas, when he exited the regular-season finale with soreness in his leg.

The offense didn’t slow down as Mariota completed a combined 33 of 41 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. He threw a game-winning 5-yard touchdown pass to receiver Terry McLaurin with two seconds remaining to beat the Cowboys.

Mariota played two seasons with the Raiders in 2020-21, attempting a combined 30 passes. The 2015 second overall pick has played 10 seasons, throwing 97 touchdown passes.

“He’s played at a high level for a long time,” McLaurin said. “He’s been a starter in multiple places; he’s had to come in — even last year. He brings a calm to the huddle that is reassuring for everyone in there. He’s a pro’s pro. You always feel his energy.”

But Mariota knows that Daniels wants to play.

“It comes down to, if you feel like you can do what you normally do, then go ahead,” Mariota said. “I’ve been in situations like this where you try to fight through it and maybe you’re not playing like yourself, and it is hard. You want to be out there for your team and tough it out. We understand Jayden is going to do everything in his power to play.

“We always tell him, just be you, and if you feel through the course of the week you get back to that point, great. We’ll support you to be ready to roll. If you need a week, that’s OK, I’ll be ready to go, too.”