The Washington Commanders officially ruled out quarterback Jayden Daniels for Sunday’s Week 4 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Daniels traveled with the team to London and practiced all week, but a Week 4 return never seemed realistic. Instead, Marcus Mariota will start for the second consecutive week.
Now, for some good news. The Commanders will get two starters back for Sunday’s game: tight end Chig Okonkwo and linebacker Frankie Luvu.
Luvu, one of Washington’s captains, injured his groin in the Week 1 loss at Philadelphia. He missed the last two games, and rookie Sonny Styles wore the green dot in Luvu’s place. It will be interesting to see how the Commanders handle the green-dot responsibilities with Luvu back.
Luvu’s return is much needed,
considering the Commanders lost Leo Chenal to season-ending neck surgery last week. Backup linebacker Jordan Magee is currently on injured reserve and will miss at least the next two games. Styles earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his performance in last week’s win over Seattle. Second-year linebacker Kain Medrano, a standout on special teams, replaced Chenal and recorded five tackles and the play of the game, returning a Sam Darnold interception 50 yards for a touchdown to clinch the victory for Washington.
Okonkwo, in his first year for the Commanders after signing a three-year deal in March, injured his hamstring in Week 1 and also missed the last two games. Washington has received little production from its tight ends in Okonkwo’s absence. His return gives Mariota another offensive weapon after a game where the veteran quarterback threw for three touchdowns in an upset win over the Seahawks.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Good news for the Commanders: Two injured starters returning in Week 4
