Jayden Daniels Reportedly 'Wasn't Even Close' to Playing vs. Raiders amid Injury

Despite some talk throughout the week that Jayden Daniels might be able to play on Sunday while dealing with a sprained knee, the Washington Commanders didn't really consider putting him on the field

On the Saturday morning edition of SportsCenter, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Daniels "wasn't even close" to being able to play against the Las Vegas Raiders:

"Jayden Daniels is out for this week and it really wasn't even close, which begs the question, what is he looking like for Week 4? So, I checked with a source over there who said, 'It's just too early to tell' on that knee sprain. They want to see how he responds. I did recently talk to tight end Zach Ertz of the Commanders. He told me that Marcus Mariota, the backup, is really like a starting quarterback. He's one of the best 32 in the world, so that leaves them in a good spot. They feel like they can win with Mariota, at least for the week until they get Daniels back."

Head coach Dan Quinn announced on Friday that Daniels wouldn't play and Marcus Mariota will get the start against the Raiders.

Daniels was diagnosed with a knee sprain after the Commanders' Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported.

The second-year quarterback missed Wednesday and Thursday practice, though offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said on Thursday that Daniels was "preparing mentally" as if he were playing.

Daniels rejoined practice in a limited capacity on Friday before he was ruled out for Sunday's Week 3 matchup against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders.

Quinn said Daniels had both thrown and run in the days leading up to the Week 3 game but that he "just wasn't there all the way yet."

"We said at the beginning we were going to be very diligent on his return to play, and make sure we didn't miss any steps," Quinn told reporters. "So we're going to be smart, not just fast."

The Commanders did have an extended break this week because their Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers was on Thursday Night Football. Sitting out Sunday means Daniels will have 17 days between games if he is able to play in Week 4.

Sunday marks the first game Daniels has sat out in his NFL career. He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record in 17 starts last season, then started three playoff games to take Washington as far as the NFC title game.

Through two starts of the 2025 season Daniels has completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 433 passing yards with three touchdowns, throwing no interceptions but taking seven total sacks in a win over the New York Giants and loss to the Packers. He also recorded 85 total rushing yards on 18 carries.

Given how important Daniels' legs were to establishing him as a dual threat during his rookie season, the Commanders will want to make sure his knee has returned to full strength before putting him back on the field.