Former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota got some unfortunate news on Sunday morning.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Mariota was diagnosed with a sprained MCL after Friday night's preseason game with the Washington Commanders. Mariota left the game in the first quarter after taking a hard hit, and then going to the ground on the next play with what appeared to be a non-contact knee injury. He immediately left the game and went to the locker room with assistance from the training staff.
According to The Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala, Mariota is expected to miss the remainder of the preseason for the Commanders while he tries to rehab and get back on the field for the regular season.
Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota suffered a sprained MCL that is now likely to sideline him for the remainder of the preseason, per sources. pic.twitter.com/e7P01GaN8w
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 16, 2026
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Mariota has dealt with injuries during his 12-year NFL career. He has battled knee pain in the past, and the 32-year-old veteran has missed plenty of games in his career. Over the past two seasons with the Commanders, however, Mariota has filled in admirably for Jayden Daniels, who has also missed time with injuries.
Marcus Mariota non contact injury on handoff. Watch him top left. He’s out of the game.
— Grant Paulsen (@GrantPaulsen) August 14, 2026
Was patting his knee when trainers came out. pic.twitter.com/aBDhMWHTL7
Despite the injury, Mariota's place on the roster feels secure as the team's backup. Sam Hartman replaced Mariota in the preseason game, but after throwing for over 2,000 yards, 14 TDs, and seven interceptions in the past two years, there doesn't seem to be much risk that Mariota will be cut this preseason, assuming that his recovery is swift.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Marcus Mariota to miss Commanders preseason with sprained MCL