GREATER LANDOVER, Md. — There's good news and bad news on Monday in the DMV. The good news: The Washington Commanders beat the Carolina Panthers by a final score of 40-7 on Sunday. The bad news: Rookie quarterback and No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels left the game early because of a rib injury.
The Commanders (5-2) did just fine without Daniels for a vast majority of the game after he had a 46-yard run and completed a couple of passes on their opening possession. They already led at that point thanks to Fowler's pick-6, Andy Dalton's first of two interceptions, the second by Emmanuel Forbes, who returned from being a healthy scratch last week.
With Mariota running the show, Washington chugged along and racked up 421 yards against the Panthers (1-6), who allowed the most points through of any team in the Super Bowl era through the first six games of a season.
Mariota threw for two touchdown passes and 205 yards. Before Sunday's game, Mariota also played the end of the game against the Cleveland Browns, with the outcome already determined.
Back in March, the Commanders agreed with Mariota on a one-year contract with a base salary of $6 million that can be worth up to $10 million, according to a person familiar with the deal.
Before his time with Washington, Mariota, 30, had appeared in 90 and started 74 NFL games for four teams since being taken with the second pick in the 2015 draft, most recently serving as Jalen Hurts' backup in Philadelphia last season.
Since being signed as Daniels' backup, Mariota has embraced the role of mentor and sounding board.
"I feel like I've been through the gamut of everything," Mariota told WUSA9 in May. "I've been a starter, I've been a backup, I've been hurt, I've been benched. I think for me, I try to just bring all those experiences into the room. I really believe that the quarterback position is one of the hardest in sports. When you have a solid foundation in the quarterback room, it really doesn't matter who's pulling the trigger, I think it's going to be beneficial for everybody."
Like Daniels, Mariota won the Heisman Trophy as quarterback of the Oregon Ducks in 2014. He was the first Oregon player, the first Polynesian and the first player from Hawaii to win the award.
Mariota won the Heisman during his junior year at Oregon. He threw for 3,783 yards and 38 touchdowns with just two interceptions while also rushing for 669 yards and 14 scores (he also caught a TD pass) as the Ducks finished the regular season with a 12-1 record. His 53 total touchdowns tied Sam Bradford for the most in Heisman history. Mariota led the nation in touchdowns, passing efficiency (186.33) and total offense (4,452 yards), according to the Heisman Trophy website.
As questions remain about the severity of Daniels' injury, Mariota said he is ready for whatever the next step is.
“Obviously, it’s going to take some time or whatever it is," Mariota said Sunday. “We have no idea. But I think he was in good spirits, and for the most part you just check on him, how he’s doing and we’ll take it day to day.”
The Commanders are set to host the Chicago Bears and No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams on Sunday.