FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will not play in Washington’s exhibition opener at New England, and nor will his backup, veteran Marcus Mariota, coach Dan Quinn said.
Mariota, a Saint Louis School graduate who is entering his 11th season in the NFL, was among multiple players that did not travel. Mariota is working through a lower leg strain, Quinn said. That means quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman will handle the offense in Friday’s game.
But Quinn said Daniels was expected to have a sizable workload during Wednesday’s practice, as would several others. He added that other players who received heavy reps would also not play Friday.
Among those not making the trip was receiver Terry McLaurin, who is on the physically unable to perform list with an ankle injury in addition to “holding in” as contract talks continue.
Mariota re-signed with the Commanders for this season after serving as Daniels’ backup and mentor in 2024. Washington advanced to the NFC Championship for the first time since 1992.