FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons will face one of their former quarterbacks Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
On Friday, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced Marcus Mariota will be their starter for the second game in a row, as Jayden Daniels continues to recover from a knee injury.
"(Daniels is) working incredibly hard, around the clock, to get back," Quinn told reporters in Washington. "Ultimately, doctors haven't cleared him just yet."
Daniels, who's in his second season, sustained his knee injury during the Commanders' Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He did not participate at all in Week 3 and was ultimately inactive for the Commanders' win against the Las Vegas Raiders. He returned to practice Wednesday for the first time, albeit in a limited capacity. He was not seen at practice Friday, though the Commanders' final injury report has yet to come out.
As the starter last Sunday, Mariota completed 15 of his 21 passes for 207 yards and a 43-yard touchdown. He also had six carries for 40 yards and scored on a 2-yard run. He was sacked once.
Falcons players stated earlier this week the team was preparing for either quarterback.
"Doesn't matter who's the quarterback," Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said. "Whether it's Mariota or Daniels, they both have amazing talent with being able to extend plays."
Mariota played for the Falcons in 2022, signing with the organization after Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. He went 5-8 as their starter, completing 61.3% of his passes for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also threw nine interceptions and was sacked 28 times.
The Falcons benched Mariota for the final four games of the 2022 season in favor of then-rookie Desmond Ridder, who they drafted in the third round earlier that year. Ridder finished off the season 2-2, completing 63.5% of his passes for 708 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked nine times.
The Falcons released Mariota after the 2022 season on Feb. 28, 2023.
"We know Marcus," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "Marcus was in this building before, got a lot of respect for Marcus and what he was able to do (last Sunday). They'll run their offense. It'll be very similar to what they do."
The Commanders enter Week 4's contest 2-1, while the Falcons are 1-2.
Take a look at our best shots from week four practice ahead of the Sunday matchup against the Washington Commanders, presented by Gatorade.
