Quarterback Marcus Mariota Suffers Serious Injury

Injury woes continue to mount for the Washington Commanders.

Already without their starting quarterback, Jayden Daniels, the Commanders also lost Marcus Mariota during their matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday in London. The veteran suffered a right knee injury that forced him to leave the game in the first quarter. (NFL Fantasy⁠
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Mariota had, however, gotten off to a strong start. On Washington's first two possessions, he completed three of his four passes for 46 yards. He also made a spectacular 35-yard run, putting his team in a good field position.

The injury occurred on a third-down play near the Colts' end zone. Mariota was sacked when Laiatu Latu and Adetomiwa Adebawore combined to tackle him. His right leg was twisted awkwardly during the contact. Mariota was able to walk off the field on his own, but he appeared to be having difficulty walking. (News-Times⁠)

A Cause for Concern for Washington

Marcus Mariota's injury poses a significant problem for the Commanders, as Jayden Daniels was already sidelined with a left elbow injury. Washington was therefore forced to turn to rookie Athan Kaliakmanis, a seventh-round pick in the last draft, to step in. (NFL Fantasy⁠
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After the game, head coach Dan Quinn indicated that the injury appeared to involve the medial collateral ligament, better known by the abbreviation MCL. However, further tests are needed to determine the exact severity of the injury and how long Mariota might be sidelined. (News-Times⁠
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Kaliakmanis was thus thrust into an extremely difficult situation for his first regular-season game in the NFL. The young quarterback completed 15 of 33 passes for 186 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Notably, he connected with Treylon Burks on a spectacular 47-yard touchdown pass. (Reuters
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Despite this performance, the Commanders were unable to maintain their momentum and ultimately lost 30-13 to Indianapolis. This loss drops Washington to 1-3 on the season.

Attention now turns to Mariota's health and, above all, to Daniels' potential return. According to reports following the game, Daniels is expected to resume practice later this week. Washington may therefore have to wait for further medical evaluations before determining its plan at the quarterback position. (Washington Commanders⁠
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