NFL insider Ian Rapoport dropped some surprising news on Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels on Tuesday while appearing on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show.
Rapoport estimated that backup Marcus Mariota is expected to start on Sunday for the team and that Mariota may start for "multiple games" as Daniels recovers from another dislocated elbow.
However, the more eye-opening part of Rapoport's update came as he said the team is hopeful Daniels doesn't have to go on injured reserve, which would knock him out for at least four games.
That means Daniels could hypothetically be back in a month's worth of games if all goes as hoped in D.C. Rapoport made it sound like it's still up in the air as to what's going to happen, but the possibility to avoid
IR would be huge.
"Marcus Mariota is expected to start on Sunday and I would expect him to start multiple games..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 22, 2026
The Commanders are hopeful that Jayden Daniels doesn't have to go on Injured Reserve"@RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/focMszXBKv
We're not sure when Daniels will return, but that's encouraging for Washington if the team even has a hope for their starting quarterback to return within a month's time after such a gnarly injury.
Who do the Commanders play next?
The team plays the Seahawks at home on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on Fox.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Could Jayden Daniels avoid IR after latest injury? Insider sheds light
