The Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles will meet for an NFC East matchup in Week 16 at Northwest Stadium, and Marcus Mariota will get the start for the Commanders on Saturday.
Mariota has started seven games for Washington this season, leading the team to a 2-5 record while tossing 10 touchdowns to seven interceptions with a 62% completion rate. The Oregon product has also added 298 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
With Mariota set to start in Week 16, why are the Commanders giving the veteran signal-caller the nod instead of Jayden Daniels?
Why Marcus Mariota is starting for Commanders
Daniels has had an injury-riddled second season, starting just seven games after his promising rookie campaign in 2024. The LSU product has dealt with an elbow injury, which was initially suffered in Week 9 and caused him to miss a few games.
Though Daniels returned to the lineup in Week 14, he aggravated his elbow in Week 15 versus the Minnesota Vikings, leading to the Commanders shutting him down for the final three games.
As a result of Daniels being held out for the year, Mariota will start in his place in Week 16 and for the rest of the season. Washington will finish the campaign with three division games: the Eagles on Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, and Philadelphia once again in Week 18.