The Commanders announced Wednesday that Mariota (chest) has been designated for a return to practice.
Mariota will have a 21-day window to be evaluated at practice, and Washington can add him back to the 53-man roster at any time during that three-week stretch. Once healthy, Mariota is expected to replace Jeff Driskel as the top backup to rookie signal-caller Jayden Daniels. Mariota was initially placed on injured reserve early in the regular season due to a chest injury sustained during practice.