The Washington Commanders might be without their starting quarterback against the Las Vegas Raiders, but they aren't sweating the potential loss as much as one might believe.
The Commanders have not ruled out Daniels, who suffered a knee injury against the Green Bay Packers last week, for their Week 3 home matchup but have been preparing for the possibility that he will be unavailable for the first time in his professional career. Backup Marcus Mariota has already been tapped as the possible replacement for Daniels, although the Commanders will wait until the end of the week to make that decision.
Of course, the preference would be for Daniels to suit up on Sunday, but the Commanders, both coaches and players, are confident Mariota can get the job done.
"If called upon, we would certainly expect Marcus to deliver in the fashion that he does," head coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday. "He has been like a real standard as a Commander, player [and] teammate in elite ways."
Mariota, who signed with the Commanders during the 2024 offseason, was brought in primarily to be a mentor to whoever the team chose with the No. 2 overall pick, but the Commanders also believed he had enough talent left to play if necessary. He proved that to be true in two games last season, completing 77.3% of his passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns.
Mariota's performances in those matchups were some of the best in his career, with his 95.9 QBR against the Dallas Cowboys being tied for his third best in 10 years. He even had a 33-yard run that helped seal that Week 18 23-19 win over the Cowboys, although he joked after the game that he wasn't quite as good with his legs at age 30 as he was early in his 20s.
And yet, part of the reason why the Commanders kept Mariota around was because of his athleticism. Their game plan doesn't need to drastically change if Mariota needs to play because of his and Daniels' similar styles. He takes care of the football, particularly in the red zone, and can use his legs to extend plays.
The Commanders believe they have two starters in Daniels and Mariota, which offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said is "rare in this league."
"Anytime he's asked to play or practice or even on scout team, he's been phenomenal," Kingsbury said. "So, he treats it like a pro as a leader on the team despite not being the starter, which is hard to do and can't say enough good things about him. So, if he has to go, I'm sure he will be ready."
Mariota's teammates have expressed a similar belief in the veteran quarterback's ability to lead the Commanders' offense. Wideout Terry McLaurin has firsthand experience with Mariota's accuracy, as he caught the game-winning touchdown throw against the Cowboys with two seconds left in regulation. It was the exclamation point to a solid day for Mariota, who scored three total touchdowns and completed 15-of-18 passes for 161 yards.
If Mariota plays on Sunday, it will be his first start in nearly three years and his first bit of game action since last year's Week 18 victory. Mariota dealt with tendinitis in August, which forced him to miss most of training camp and all three preseason games. Mariota said he will be good to go because of all the mental reps he got during that period, and players like McLaurin believe it won't take long for them to get back into a rhythm.
"Marcus and I have had a lot of reps together," McLaurin said. "The timing is there. The great thing about it is that we're both vets, and we have a good feel of this offense and what it's supposed to look like. So, if he started this week, we would have a lot of confidence we're gonna have a chance to win the game."
The fact that his teammates and coaches have given him that support, Mariota said, has been "huge."
"I think that's what's been awesome about this team. We kind of preach it every single day, but just the brotherhood, the connection, regardless of how this situation plays out, just knowing that the guys have my back gives me confidence."
Mariota has operated as the starting quarterback with Daniels not participating in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. He feels more like himself after getting some rest in training camp and has moved well in individual drills. His routine hasn't changed with the potential of him being the starter; he always prepares as if he is going to play so nothing changes for him if he needs to get on the field.
That might end up being the case on Sunday, but his steady process is the reason why his teammates have faith in him.
"Marcus is still in this league for a reason," Deebo Samuel said after practice. "He's been playing well whenever his name's been called."
