The Washington Commanders are returning to Northwest Stadium to play the Philadelphia Eagles in their second of four straight division games to close out the 2025 season. Here are three headlines to watch before the Saturday game.
1. More changes at quarterback.
The Commanders have had a rough season when it comes to the quarterback position with Jayden Daniels suffering multiple injuries in seven games. The most recent -- a reaggravation of the elbow dislocation he sustained against the Seattle Seahawks -- will be his last, as head coach Dan Quinn announced that Daniels would sit for the remainder of the year.
Marcus Mariota, who has already appeared in 10 games for Washington this season, will take over as the starter. Mariota has completed 62% of his passes for 1,600 yards with 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
"He's an impactful guy here, for a lot of reasons," Quinn said. "But also, it's the play on the field and having him, the full three games to go take all the reps and do the preparation to go, that's a big deal. And so, we wanted to give him that opportunity as well to make sure he had the timing, the execution, the practice reps. Sometimes when you're the backup, not getting the game reps with the guys that are in during the week that can change it. So, that was part of the goal for sure."
Mariota, who was also the backup quarterback last season, re-signed with the Commanders on a one-year deal in March. Mariota has a strong reputation among his teammates and the coaching staff for his leadership and guidance that he's provided Daniels over the last two seasons. It's likely the Commanders already want to re-sign him, but three solid performances to close out the season would provide even more reason for them to keep him.
2. What's next at wide receiver?
Noah Brown's season is officially over after he was placed on Injured Reserve for a second time. Brown, one of the many Commanders players who have dealt with injuries this year, appeared in just four games in 2025 with five receptions for 83 yards. He made a 28-yard grab against the New York Giants before sustaining a rib injury in the first half.
Brown's absence creates more opportunities for the Commanders to see their younger wide receivers make an impact in the final three games. Treylon Burks, who signed with the Commanders earlier this season, is the one fans will likely want to see the most. Burks made an impressive one-handed touchdown catch during the Commanders' game against the Denver Broncos almost three weeks ago but has not recorded a reception since then. Burks, a 2022 first-round pick, caught the coaching staff's attention with his work ethic and willingness to contribute. Perhaps he could get more snaps now that Brown is back on IR.
Rookie Jaylin Lane is another player who could benefit from more snaps. Lane has already shown his talent as a punt returner with two touchdowns this season, the most recent coming off a 63-yard return against the Giants. As a receiver, however, Lane has just 16 receptions for 225 yards.
Some of that lack of production comes from him being behind Deebo Samuel on the depth chart, but now that Brown will miss the next three games, it could lead to the Commanders adjusting their lineup and putting Samuel on the outside, which would allow Lane to work more out of the slot.
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders during their Week 15 matchup against the New York Giants.
3. Laremy Tunsil's availability.
Tunsil was pulled from action twice on Sunday with oblique and shoulder injuries. The former ended up keeping him out in the second half, which led to second-year pro Brandon Coleman taking over at left tackle for the rest of the afternoon.
Tunsil's availability for Saturday's game is currently in question, although Quinn seems optimistic that Tunsil will play against the Eagles. He missed Tuesday's walkthrough practice, but it should be noted that Tunsil normally doesn't participate in the team's first practice of the week.
Tunsil, who was acquired via trade with the Houston Texans in the offseason, has been one of the Commanders' biggest assets all year. He has only been defeated on 7.9% of run plays, which ranks second best among NFC offensive tackles with at least 250 run block snaps behind only Trent Williams. His run block grade from PFF is the highest of his career, while his overall grade of 87.5 is fourth best for NFC OTs with at least 250 total snaps.
Assuming he does suit up, it would go a long way to protecting Mariota against an Eagles pass rush that has generated 35 sacks this season.
