Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota is close with Jayden Daniels. When the Commanders signed Mariota in March 2024, they did so in anticipation of drafting Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick and having Mariota serve as his backup early in his career.
It was a terrific decision. Mariota became not only a valuable reserve for Washington, but also a trusted mentor and friend to Daniels. Both are former Heisman winners and No. 2 overall picks; Daniels and Mariota quickly developed a close bond. Unfortunately for the Commanders, Mariota has had to play more than anyone imagined.
In his first two seasons with Washington, Mariota appeared in 14 games and made eight starts. In only the second game of the 2026 season, Mariota was called into
action again when Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow — the same elbow he dislocated last season — right before halftime. Mariota entered the game and immediately had success, throwing an apparent touchdown pass to Dyami Brown. The officiating crew somehow said it wasn’t a touchdown.
The Commanders would go on to lose the game 37-20.
After the game, the focus was solely on Daniels and his injury. Mariota shared his thoughts on Daniels’ latest injury.
“It sucks,” Mariota said. "You can’t even really put it into words. You watch that kid battle, for all that he went through last year, just very, very unfortunate. But that is an incredible locker room. He’s got an incredible support system. We’re going to do everything we can to get him back and get him ready. But, man, yeah, it’s tough.”
It’s unknown how long Daniels will be out. Head coach Dan Quinn said after the game that the Commanders will rally around Mariota. They’ve done it before.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Marcus Mariota heartbroken for Jayden Daniels
