Overview
- The Commanders announced Thursday that Jayden Daniels practiced fully and is expected to start Sunday at Northwest Stadium while wearing a protective brace on his injured left elbow.
- Marcus Mariota is sidelined with a right-knee MCL sprain and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis remains the active backup after completing 15 of 33 passes for 186 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Week 4.
- Washington has suffered significant roster attrition recently, including the season-ending loss of wide receiver Jaylin Lane and day-to-day questions about Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs.
- Stopping Giants wideout Malik Nabers is now a top priority because Washington's pass defense ranks 25th in the NFL and Nabers has produced multiple big games this season.
- The team plans to manage Daniels cautiously — with the option to delay definitive elbow surgery until the offseason — and the Week 5 result could influence short-term roster moves before the trade deadline.