The Washington Commanders’ season has gone awry in extremely quick fashion. A 3-7 record with names like Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels missing extended portions of the season has all but guaranteed that they won’t repeat the success they had last season.
However, things may have taken a turn for the worse when they faced the Miami Dolphins in an international game in Madrid. With Marcus Mariota handling quarterback duties in Daniels’ absence, he suffered a brutal hit that took him out of the game in the third quarter.
What Happened to Marcus Mariota?
Consistently taking over whenever last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year has had to miss time, Mariota has been a blessing for Washington. This year, he has started more games than Daniels, with injuries piling on for their potential franchise quarterback.
Facing the Dolphins, it was once again the veteran who stood under center. And he was doing a fine job with it, as the Commanders held a 13-6 lead midway through the third quarter.
But a brutal double hit saw Mariota down on the field immediately. Slow to get up off the ground, he was taken into the blue medical tent, as veteran Josh Johnson took over at quarterback for the Commanders.
Josh Johnson will enter the game for the Commanders after Marcus Mariota was banged up on this play. pic.twitter.com/vvMq8bqaIY
— Fantasy+ (@playfantasyplus) November 16, 2025
However, he was back on the sidelines practicing with a ball before the subsequent Miami drive was even over. The next drive onwards, he was back on the field, leading the Washington offense.
Unfortunately, the drive did not result in points for the Commanders, who tried to go for it on fourth down unsuccessfully. On the script, though, Mariota was sensational, as a 44-yard rush down the length of the field breathed life into the team.
All of his exploits were for naught, though. As the game went to overtime with the scores tied at 13 apiece, Washington got the ball first with a chance to add to the scoreboard. However, Mariota threw a critical interception to Jack Jones on the first play in the extra period.
It gave the Dolphins the ball at the 33-yard line. Subsequently, a field goal gave them the win, as Mariota ended the night with 213 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while completing 20 of his 30 passing attempts.
Fantasy Outlook After Mariota’s Injury
Mariota was a popular streaming candidate this week in light of the favorable matchup against a weak Dolphins defense. He hasn’t quite delivered a passable performance for fantasy managers just yet.
The Commanders are already quite shorthanded at offense without Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. If Josh Johnson plays out the remainder of this game, the Commanders will likely look to lean on Chris Rodriguez and the run game.
Deebo Samuel might still be fine, as Johnson may utilize short throws to the checkdown specialist. No one else on this team was fantasy relevant anyway.
