Commanders star QB ruled out for Sunday’s game against Raiders

The Raiders won’t have to deal with last season’s offensive rookie of the year in Sunday’s game. Instead, they will go against a familiar face.

Commanders star quarterback Jayden Daniels was ruled out of the game by coach Dan Quinn after Friday’s practice. Former Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota will get the start in the 10 a.m. game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland.

Daniels won’t play Sunday because of an injured left knee. He sat out practice on Wednesday and Thursday because of the knee and was wearing a brace on his left leg in the locker room.

Quinn said earlier in the week the plan would be for Daniels to go through a Friday practice and then determine his availability for the game.

But Daniels only did light work on the field.

“I said at the beginning we were going to be very diligent about his return to play and make sure we didn’t miss any steps. So, we’re going to be smart, not just fast,” Quinn said. “We’re just not there all the way.”

Mariota saw extensive action in two games last season, both victories. He completed 34 of 44 passes for 364 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, adding 92 yards and a score on the ground.

Raiders safety Jeremy Chinn was on that team and practiced against Mariota every day.

He said offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme is unpredictable and difficult to defend regardless of which quarterback is on the field.

“They have weapons all over the offense,” Chinn said. “It starts with Jayden and now Marcus being that same type of threat. He can run it, and he can throw it. He’s got a similar skill set.”

Raiders coach Pete Carroll saw the same thing on film as he was preparing to face either Daniels or Mariota.

“It looked very similar,” he said. “The same play, same style. He’s a runner. He’s run all through his career. Jayden is a fantastic all-around athlete. So is Mariota. So we would think Marcus would do all of the same stuff as we’ve seen on film, from throwing the ball down the field to keeping it and all the rest and scrambling.”

Mariota, a former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick, played for the Raiders in 2020 and 2021, serving as Derek Carr’s backup.

He was recruited to Oregon by current Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who coached him his first two seasons with the Ducks.

“He’s a stud football player and an even better human,” Kelly said. “He’s one of the more special people I’ve had an opportunity to meet in my life.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.