The Seattle Seahawks have never faced Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels â and if a Week 8 injury designation carries over to Week 9, they may not face him this season either.Â
NFL Networkâs Ian Rapoport reported Washingtonâs star quarterback will miss his teamâs Monday Night Football matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8. Daniels suffered a low-grade hamstring strain against the Dallas Cowboys, a 44-22 loss for Washington.Â
Seahawks Keeping Tabs on Commandersâ QB Situation
Veteran backup Marcus Mariota entered that game and finished it with 4-for-10 completions for 63 yards and an interception. Mariota has appeared in two other Commanders games this season posting a 1-1 record in those contests, (a 34-27 loss to Atlanta and a 41-24 win over the Raiders).Â
The difference between Mariota or Daniels starting against the Seahawks in Week 9 could have huge ramifications.
For Seattle, the news comes at a pivotal moment in its own preparation and evaluation process. The Seahawks have been assessing depth at multiple positions, trying to find their own health â especially in the secondary â and studying roster moves around the league, especially during bye week. A prolonged absence for Washingtonâs starter could alter the NFC landscape and influence how teams like Seattle approach the next few weeks of personnel management and game-planning.
The Commanders had been positioning themselves to push for a playoff spot behind improved defensive play and a young offensive core. Losing their starting quarterback again for a stretch of time would complicate that effort and potentially open the door for other NFC contenders.
Seattle Looking to Maintain Elite Form After Bye WeekÂ
Seattleâs defense will be licking its chops regardless of the matchup, especially after a dominating defensive effort against the Houston Texans in Week 7. The defense surrendered only 254 total yards, accounted for three sacks and picked off Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud once. They also hit the QB seven times and had him under duress most of the game. They allowed the Texans only one red zone TD in three trips.Â
The Seahawks will be keeping an even closer eye on Danielsâ progression next week after the Commanders play on Monday Night Football, and will also have fresh game tape on Mariota to start prepping with, too. Daniels has averaged 200 yards passing and 42 yards pushing for game; Mariota passes for 142 yards per game and rushes for 31, so there should be some dropoff expected if Mariota starts against the Seahawks.
On the season, Daniels was putting together a similar season to his rookie year offensively â though his passing percentage had dipped eight points (from 69% to 61%). However, many in Washington expected Daniels to put them in playoff contention again after a 2025 run to the NFC Championship Game.Â
Of course, it may not matter which QB starts in Washington when the Seahawks offense led by Sam Darnold and NFL-receiving-leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to ball out. The Seahawks have scored 20 or more points in every same except one this season.
The Commanders will show the Seahawks what a Mariota-led team will look like on October 27. If the injury proves to be long-term, it would mark one of the seasonâs earliest major quarterback storylines and could subtly shift how the NFC race unfolds.
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