Commanders Turn To Marcus Mariota In London With Jayden Daniels Sidelined

Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota will get his second straight start in place of the injured Jayden Daniels on Sunday when Washington faces the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Head coach Dan Quinn announced the decision Friday after practice at the team’s luxury hotel accommodations outside London. Daniels returned to practice this week after dislocating his elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. He’s been wearing a protective brace and expressed no concerns about further damage. “He had a great week. It was awesome to have him back on the field in a limited fashion,” Quinn said. “He’ll be out. Marcus will start.” Quinn called Daniels’ return to practice “a huge positive step for us and for him.” “We’ll assess where we are next week when we get to a full week of practice all the way through,” the coach said. Last week, Mariota threw three touchdown passes in the 33-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks. It’s the second elbow dislocation for Daniels, who missed most of the second half of last season with the same injury. The third-year quarterback, who led the Commanders to the NFC championship game in his rookie season, had said Thursday he was preparing mentally to start against the Colts and wasn’t worried about re-injuring the elbow. “That’s what the brace is for,” Daniels said. The Commanders host the New York Giants on Sunday, Oct. 11. The team has a bye in Week 7. “Certainly, anytime you can practice, that’s a big deal,” Quinn said. “So for him to get back, that was a big step for us. Typical for him, he’s more ready than you’d expect. That’s just kind of how he is.” Quinn was asked what he needs to see to put Daniels back on the field. “It’s really just like an entire group medical performance. Where he’s at, the practice part was a big piece of that today. But next week we’re planning on for him to get a full week of practice. That would be a big deal for us.” Also Friday, running back Rachaad White (shoulder) did not practice for a third straight day. His game designation will be in the official injury report later Friday. White has rushed for 100 yards on 22 carries through three games. He also has 9 receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown. The team signed Austin Ekeler on Monday and the veteran running back “had a good week,” Quinn said. “He’s certainly not a player that you would say, ‘he looks rusty.’ That did not surprise me.” Reporting by The Associated Press.