Jayden Daniels Won't Play in Commanders' NFL Preseason Finale vs. Patriots

Having already been named the starter for the regular season, Jayden Daniels won't play for the Washington Commanders in their preseason finale.

Head coach Dan Quinn announced on Friday that Daniels will sit out Sunday's matchup against the New England Patriots.

The Commanders announced on Monday that Daniels will start in Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Daniels started Washington's first two preseason games. He went 12-of-15 for 123 yards through the air and had 16 rushing yards with one touchdowns on three carries.

There never seemed to be much of a quarterback battle between Daniels and Marcus Mariota. They started out splitting first-team reps in training camp, but within a week the reigning Heisman Trophy winner was playing a majority of snaps with the starters.

Once the Commanders made it official that Daniels was going to start when the regular season begins, there was no reason to risk a potential injury against the Patriots.

Keeping Daniels out also allows Quinn and the coaching staff to further evaluate their options behind the rookie quarterback. Mariota has already been ruled out for Sunday's game due to a groin injury that has limited him to just one pass attempt in the preseason.

Jeff Driskel and Sam Hartman were the other quarterbacks used in the preseason opener against the New York Jets. Hartman suffered a shoulder injury late in the fourth quarter and missed last week's games against the Miami Dolphins.

Driskel and Trace McSorley played most of the snaps against the Dolphins. Driskel was the No. 2 quarterback in that game, entering at the start of Washington's third offensive possession. He finished 11-of-15 for 82 yards and led one scoring drive in four possessions.

McSorley went 11-of-21 for 93 yards with one interception, three sacks and one fumble. Four of his first five drives ended in three plays, with three punts and one turnover on a lost fumble by running back Kazmeir Allen.

The next appearance for Daniels in a game will be against the Bucs on Sept. 8 at Raymond James Stadium.