Whether Jayden Daniels or Marcus Mariota start at quarterback for the Washington Commanders against the Indianapolis Colts remains unclear
The Washington Commanders are set to face the Indianapolis Colts in London in week four, but who takes the opening snap under center for Washington remains a question mark.
After head coach Dan Quinn confirmed he was among the players who traveled with the team ahead of the matchup, quarterback Jayden Daniels was limited for Wednesday's practice with uncertainty whether he is in line to make his return on Sunday.
Daniels was seen wearing a protective brace on his left arm with the expectation that he will also wear it in games. Yet the Commanders' quarterback shrugged off any concerns about the impact of the brace, while also confirming that it does not impact his throwing ability at all. Yet Daniels, admitting he isn't surprised that he was able to return to practice so quickly, stressed that he is taking it "day by day" ahead of Sunday's matchup against Indianapolis. Yet his love for football was what led to the decision to ultimately bypass midseason surgery after seeking the opinion of multiple specialists in the days leading up to the week three home opener.
"I owe it to my teammates," Daniels added, echoing a similar message that was reported when news first broke that he was expected to avoid surgery and return in a matter of weeks rather than months. Whether Daniels elects to have surgery after the 2026 season also remains undecided.
The encouraging sign for Washington is how quickly Daniels is ultimately able to make a return, flipping the script on the outlook of the season after the Commanders closed its pair of divisional games still winless and questions surrounding the state of the quarterback room the rest of the 2026 season. Now, the Commanders enter week four with a chance to get back to .500 and Daniels potentially under center once again.
Daniels went down in week two against the Dallas Cowboys after suffering a dislocated left elbow, a deflating blow for an offense that struggled to get in sync to open the season. He opened his third NFL season completing 56.9% of his attempts while throwing for 260 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to 100 rushing yards on 12 carries.
The Commanders turned veteran Marcus Mariota in week three, who led the 33-31 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the home opener after completing 19 of his 31 attempts and throwing for 183 yards and three touchdowns.
Washington will serve as the home team for the week four matchup against the Indianapolis Colts with kickoff set for 9:30 AM ET at Wembley Stadium.
