Marcus Mariota will start at quarterback for the Washington Commanders against the Indianapolis Colts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Jayden Daniels was ruled out of the London fixture.
Washington head coach Dan Quinn confirmed the decision after practice at the team’s hotel outside London, according to Sky Sports. Mariota will make a second successive start in place of Daniels, who has returned to limited practice but will miss at least one more game as he recovers from an elbow dislocation.
The decision makes Mariota the central on-field change for a game which begins October’s sequence of NFL fixtures in London. It also means Washington are continuing to manage Daniels’ recovery despite a reported encouraging week on the practice field.
Commanders keep Daniels out after practice return
Daniels sustained the elbow injury in Week Two against the Dallas Cowboys. Sky Sports reported that he had worn a protective brace after returning to practice this week and had said he did not have concerns about further damage.
Quinn nevertheless said that Daniels would not play against Indianapolis, while describing the quarterback’s limited involvement in practice as an important positive for both player and team. The coach said Washington expected to assess Daniels again once he had completed a full week of practice.
That approach leaves Mariota with another opportunity after he led Washington past the reigning champion Seattle Seahawks last week. Sky Sports reported that he threw three touchdown passes in the 33-31 victory.
The result provides recent evidence that Washington can produce with Mariota in the line-up, but it does not settle the longer-term quarterback question. Quinn’s comments indicated that Daniels’ practice workload remains a key part of the club’s assessment, rather than offering a firm timetable for his competitive return.
For Mariota, the London game is a chance to follow a productive start with another performance against an Indianapolis side arriving from a 19-17 win over Houston. The Commanders’ decision also removes uncertainty over the starting role before the game, even though Daniels’ return to the field in a limited capacity represents progress in his recovery.
London game follows Week Three wins
Indianapolis travel to Tottenham after beating the Houston Texans 19-17 in Week Three, while Washington arrive following their win over Seattle. Sky Sports reported that both teams had needed their respective victories, giving the meeting added importance as they attempt to build on those results.
The Colts’ trip carries a particular international connection for cornerback Sauce Gardner. Sky Sports reported that Indianapolis acquired Gardner from the New York Jets in November 2025 and that he had previously won an international game against the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin.
Gardner told Sky Sports that he enjoyed playing international games, especially in London, and highlighted the atmosphere created by the crowd. His comments underline the distinct setting for a fixture in which Washington’s quarterback selection has become the principal late development.
Indianapolis offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann also told Sky Sports that he attended an NFL game at Wembley as a teenager in 2013, before later returning to London as a player. Those individual experiences do not alter the competitive task facing either side, but they illustrate why the London leg has significance beyond an ordinary road game for participants.
Sky Sports reported that Sunday’s fixture is the first of three successive London matchups in October. It is also part of the NFL’s nine-game international programme this season, following games in Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro.
Washington will therefore take the field in a major UK setting with Mariota rather than Daniels under centre. The immediate test is whether Mariota can extend the form that delivered three touchdown passes against Seattle, while the Commanders continue to judge when Daniels is ready for a full return.