The Washington Commanders were dealt another hammer blow when veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota went down with an MCL injury early in their Week 4 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Head coach Dan Quinn is awaiting further tests, but it seems he will miss time again.
And with quarterback Jayden Daniels still working his way back from a dislocated elbow, Washington might have no choice but to bring back a familiar face.
Unless the Commanders go a little bolder to trade for a quarterback, which seems highly unlikely, signing a veteran off the street is imperative until Mariota returns. Seventh-round rookie Athan Kaliakmanis is a development project, and practice squad signal-caller Sam Hartman is nowhere near the required standard.
Commanders may call Jeff Driskel amid ongoing quarterback injury crisis
The Commanders might be content with what they have. And if Daniels gets hurt again, their season is over anyway, so giving Kaliakmanis starting reps could help his development.
But if the Commanders decide they need another veteran body, calling Jeff Driskel seems like a realistic play.
Driskel knows the setup. He's spent time in Washington over the last two years. Even though this is a new scheme to learn under offensive coordinator David Blough, he's experienced enough to pick things up quickly.
And desperate times call for desperate measures.
This wouldn't be anything more than a band-aid solution, and much will also depend on how long Mariota is missing. But considering the Commanders signed him off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad last year, general manager Adam Peters might consider bringing him on board again.
If nothing else, Driskel would help with game-week preparations. And if the worst happens to Daniels, this could provide the Commanders with a steadier hand.
Jeff Driskel knows the Commanders, though it's less than ideal
Whether he'd be interested is another matter.
Teams weren't exactly fighting over Driskel this offseason. The Commanders didn't bring him back, and he might have gotten used to being without the day-to-day rigors of football.
But in the Commanders' current state, they might have to put in a call to find out for sure.
These problems are following an eerily similar pattern to last season. Daniels got hurt. Mariota came in and also went to the shelf. The Commanders' campaign was a lost cause from a long way out, and if the same happens again, Quinn could be looking for a new job when the campaign concludes.
Driskel isn't exactly going to set the world on fire. Still, he is experienced, knows people in the building, and can slot in seamlessly.
That's all the Commanders need. And when Mariota gets the all-clear to return at some stage, he can go back to whatever he was doing this summer.
Washington might decide to take its medicine and keep Kaliakmanis as the backup if they are completely convinced Daniels can return. But another contingency plan wouldn't hurt, and Driskel seems like a better option than most still sitting on the proverbial scrap heap at this time of year.
It's a depressing thought. But this is the situation Washington finds itself in after a disastrous run of bad fortune.
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