Marcus Mariota, who just hit the field for the Washington Commanders’ preseason opener, is reportedly staring down an MCL sprain that’s likely gonna keep him sidelined for the rest of preseason. This ain’t just a tough break for the veteran signal-caller; it’s a huge curveball for a Commanders team that knows all too well how quickly QB depth can become a season-defining issue.
The Preseason Chaos Unfolds
Man, talk about a bad break! Mariota’s injury happened on the Commanders’ very first offensive possession during their Friday night game against the Miami Dolphins. Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk noted that Mariota took a hit while delivering a pass on the play *before* he handed the ball off to Kaytron Allen. One moment he’s out there, the next he’s heading to the locker room with a sprained MCL. With Mariota out, Washington had to scramble, turning to Sam Hartman under center before rookie and seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis eventually got his shot. Neither guy managed to throw a touchdown, and Kaliakmanis even got picked off. Despite the QB struggles, the Commanders somehow still grinded out a 20-7 victory, thanks to rushing touchdowns from Allen and Robert Henry Jr. But let’s be real, the scoreboard barely tells the story of the QB mess.
Why This Backup Role Is SO Important for Washington
Listen, this isn’t just any backup quarterback going down, and it’s definitely not “just” preseason. Everyone knows Jayden Daniels is the starter in Washington, but the dude was limited to just seven games last season due to injuries. Plus, Daniels loves to use his legs, which is exciting as heck, but also means he’s taking more hits and living with that higher risk. That makes the backup quarterback position unbelievably important for the Commanders, maybe more than for other teams. Mariota was *the guy* for that role, even making eight starts for Washington in 2025. During those starts, he completed 61.2 percent of his passes, tossing for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The team went 2-6 in his starts, but his veteran presence and 82 career starts with teams like the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Philadelphia Eagles brought crucial experience. This MCL sprain is a massive setback, no doubt, but thankfully it’s not season-ending. It’ll give Hartman and Kaliakmanis more opportunity to show what they’ve got during the rest of the preseason, which is a silver lining, I guess. But ideally for Washington, Mariota needs to be healthy and ready to go by the regular season so he can resume those critical backup duties. This team absolutely *needs* that experienced depth behind Daniels.
So, while the Commanders are sweating over their QB depth chart and hoping their veteran backup gets back on track, here in the Emerald City, our Seahawks just took their own preseason L, falling 17-7 to the Dallas Cowboys. Different teams, same early season jitters, huh? Looks like there’s plenty to chew on around the league before the real games even kick off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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