ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders’ injury list is officially a problem.
The team ruled out four players, including quarterback Jayden Daniels and leading receiver Terry McLaurin, for Sunday’s game against the Falcons. Marcus Mariota will get his second start in Daniels’ place, and his first in Atlanta since his acrimonious exit from the team in 2022. Wideout Noah Brown and tight end John Bates will also both miss their second game because of groin injuries.
Daniels was limited for two days of practice this week and was not on the field for the start of Friday’s workout because of a left knee sprain he suffered in Week 2 against the Packers. Coach Dan Quinn said the team would be cautious with him so as not to risk a greater injury that would sideline him for longer.
Daniels has made progress in his recovery, but he wasn’t moving at full speed (he was wearing a brace on his left knee) when on the field during the media-viewing portion of practices. He told reporters on Wednesday that he “feels good,” but that the decision of whether he would play was up to the team’s doctors.
“Jayden’s working as hard as he can,” Quinn said Friday. “The (doctors) just haven’t cleared him just yet.”
The Commanders have expressed full faith in Mariota and were rewarded last weekend when he completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, and ran for another 40 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The dagger is losing McLaurin.
The 30-year-old receiver suffered a quad injury and didn’t return to the game after his 56-yard catch in the third quarter. He sought additional outside medical opinions of his injury during the week, as most players do, and two league sources with knowledge of his injury said he’s unlikely to need surgery. But he was absent at practice all week, making it clear that he was unlikely to play. Sunday’s game will be the first he’s missed since 2020, ending a 72-game streak.
Since Quinn took over as head coach in 2024, Washington has emphasized rest and recovery, especially for its veteran players. Many of the older players — tight end Zach Ertz, outside linebacker Von Miller, left tackle Laremy Tunsil — do not practice on Wednesdays. During the week, recovery periods are built into players’ schedules so they can meet with specialists for cupping, dry needling and the like. And the team’s training camps were light relative to years past in Washington, with the goal of ensuring players were fresh and healthy going into the season.
The methods worked last year, helping Washington remain relatively healthy deep in the season and into the playoffs. This year, the injuries became problematic in camp and have only ramped up since the start of the season.
The receiving corps, which already had depth concerns, has been hit especially hard.
The drop-off in play from the Commanders’ top wideouts to their reserves was exposed in camp and preseason when McLaurin was in the middle of a contract dispute and Brown was nursing a knee injury. Dropped passes, poor routes and a general inefficiency from the remaining receivers raised concern about the offense’s potential should either McLaurin or Brown deal with an injury in season.
That what-if is now the Commanders’ reality.
Without their top two guys, Washington will have Deebo Samuel, Luke McCaffrey, rookie Jaylin Lane and veteran Chris Moore, plus a potential practice-squad elevation (Ja’Corey Brooks, Tay Martin or Jacoby Jones) on Sunday.
(Photo: Amber Searls / Imagn Images)
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