Commanders QB to Miss Season Opener Against Bucs

The Washington Commanders revealed their final practice injury report ahead of their contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jul 26, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (0) stands on the field during warmup before day three of training camp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are preparing for a contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they kick their regular season off against a playoff team from a season ago.

Tampa Bay has plenty to prove in the realm of being regarded as a playoff team, as they've got to show the league their appearance a season ago -- led by quarterback Baker Mayfield -- wasn't a fluke.

They're not the only team in the contest with added motive, though, as the Commanders are looking to make an outright arrival behind No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. With one final week of practices to prepare for the battle, Washington released its final injury report ahead of gameday.

READ MORE: Commanders Coach Reveals Plan vs. Buccaneers

The Commanders will be without their backup quarterback, though, as Marcus Mariota will be out on Sunday after not participating in practice on Thursday or Friday. Jer'Zhan Newton is the only other player on the injury report with a pending status.

Newton was limited in practice on Wednesday and Friday, though he was a full participant on Thursday.

Here are other players who were listed on the injury report who will be good to go against Tampa Bay:

• G Brandon Coleman - Shoulder
• DE Clelin Ferrell - Knee
• LB Dante Fowler Jr. - Knee
• Daron Payne - Back
• Trent Scott - Knee

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The Commanders walk into the contest mostly healthy as they look to get off to a good start in the 2024 season. Newton making his debut -- even in a limited role off the bench -- would be good for the Commanders to get a baseline of what to expect from him.

"We're not gonna rule him out," Washington head coach Dan Quinn said. "We're gonna take him into Sunday ... It was good to get him some team reps today."

Coleman hitting the field for his first game should be interesting, too. According to Quinn, he was nearly ready to play in the preseason finale, though the team opted to let him get 100 percent healthy and ready for the regular season.

"He was close to being ready for the third preseason game, and we just made the decision that this is not the space and the time to go push it into this spot," Quinn said. "But he's absolutely ready to let it rip."

The offensive guard missed the majority of training camp with a shoulder injury, though he's expected to make a big impact for Washington during his first season.

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READ MORE: CommanderGameday Staff Score Predictions: Commanders vs. Buccaneers

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