Jayden Daniels must hit these 'markers' to practice with Commanders

As the Washington Commanders return to practice, all eyes are going to be on the quarterback group.

First and foremost, everyone will be watching to see if Jayden Daniels is even at practice for the Commanders on Wednesday, the first day of preparation for their upcoming matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Then, if he’s there, how much is he working, and how does his injured knee look? Of course, any image of a brace will only further the flashbacks Washington fans are experiencing, though the situation now and back in 2012 are much different.

'Truly Day-to-Day'

Daniels is “truly day-to-day,” head coach Dan Quinn shared, and will have to hit several markers before he’s even allowed to hit the practice field, let alone the playing surface.

Those markers include strength tests, agility, and more, because one thing the Commanders know they can’t do, even if they wanted to, is ask Daniels to play like anyone other than himself.

“What does that mean for Sunday? I can’t tell you that now,” Quinn further clarified. “I’ll have more to share on that when we get to Wednesday and practice and what that would look like, but in the return to play, he and any of the guys would have to hit all of the markers for us to get back and do our thing.”

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5). | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

A Patient Process

Truthfully, we wouldn’t expect any real indications about Daniels’ playing status in Week 3 until Friday at 4 p.m. ET when the team is required to turn in their final game status report before the weekend.

Then, we’d expect a questionable status at most, with a pregame workout expected to figure out if it’ll be Daniels or veteran backup Marcus Mariota who will start against the Raiders on Sunday.

“We’re just not going to miss any steps along the way, man,” Quinn says, indicating that he’s in no hurry to get to the final answer and is going to take every minute he needs to make the final decision with the player’s welfare at the forefront of it.

“With Jayden, we know how important he is, and so we’re just going to kind of take it. That’s why I truly say it’s day by day to make sure that he can absolutely be himself,” says the coach.

Confidence in the Contingency Plan

If the team has to turn to Mariota, Quinn voiced his confidence in his abilities, and added that “if called upon, this is an elite competitor, teammate and player... our confidence in him is through the roof based on who he is, the teammate, what he’s shown to us here.”

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

More Washington Commanders News

• Why Commanders trust their backup QB if Jayden Daniels is out

• After a rash of injuries, Dan Quinn has a clear message for Commanders

• Commanders get called out for biggest problem after loss to Packers

• Commanders sign 7-year veteran RB after Austin Ekeler injury