A nightmarish season for the Washington Commanders made its way to Madrid on Sunday with hopes the change of scenery could bring better results. While the Commanders impressed in some respects, they saw the injury bug hit again when QB Marcus Mariota exited the game in the third quarter.
Mariota, starting in place of an injured Jayden Daniels, threw a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel earlier in the quarter but came out of the game after landing hard in the end zone in Washington's own territory.
Veteran journeyman Josh Johnson entered the game for Mariota, but the Commanders were forced to punt one play later.
Here's what you need to know about Mariota's injury and his status going forward.
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Marcus Mariota injury update
Mariota went over to the sideline to be examined after landing hard in the end zone on second down late in the third quarter.
MARCUS MARIOTA 200 IQ PLAY 🎥 pic.twitter.com/zSVg2TXNMH
— NFL Drop (@TheNFLDrop) November 16, 2025
While it wasn't immediately clear what might have been bothering him, Mariota sat on the bench unattended as Johnson came into the game for one snap before a Commanders punt. He went into the blue medical tent after the drive ended and did not appear to have any kind of a limp.
Marcus Mariota went down on a second down deep in Washington's territory. He managed to get rid of the ball before landing in the end zone, but was banged up.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 16, 2025
Josh Johnson took over for a handoff on 3rd-15, but Mariota remained on the sideline to watch. After Washington's punt,…
Mariota was seen warming up on the sideline after exiting the tent, indicating he had a legitimate chance to return, and he was back under center by the time the Commanders started their next offensive drive.
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