What's Commanders' plan at quarterback for Week 18 vs. Eagles?

It sure doesn't sound like Marcus Mariota will start at quarterback for the Washington Commanders in their regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Mariota, who injured his hand and quad in the Week 16 meeting against the Eagles, missed last week's start against Dallas. Head coach Dan Quinn revealed that Mariota was dealing with swelling in his throwing hand, and the short week made playing against the Cowboys unlikely.

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The Commanders played on Thursday, giving them a few extra days of rest before ramping up their preparation for Sunday's finale in Philadelphia. Will Mariota be ready for the rematch?

"He wasn't ready today to participate, you know, like we had a very light jog through, so it wasn't to that spot yet," Quinn said on Monday. "So, until it gets to full speed and can really cut and stop and start, that's when we would say, so I'll have a better sense when I visit with you on Wednesday, and if he's able to, you know, resume the type of movements that we had. But as it was today, it'd been a stretch to get there, but I'm hopeful, as I have for a few days, to see what it could look like. And if he could like really be himself, then he'd have a real shot at it. But I don't know that today."

It sure sounds like Josh Johnson will get his second consecutive start for Washington.

"We'd lean and start with Josh again," Quinn said. "And then as far as behind him, we'll just still discuss that between Sam [Hartman] and Jeff [Driskel]. But if Marcus couldn't, then we'd lean in with Josh again."

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Mariota may not be medically cleared to play. But it sure sounds like Washington is planning to go with Johnson. Is this because Quinn has gotten orders from GM Adam Peters to keep Mariota on the bench alongside Jayden Daniels, in the hopes of helping improve Washington's draft position?

As of now, the Commanders hold the No. 7 overall pick. A loss, combined with wins by some teams in front of them, could move Washington inside the top five. No team is going to admit this, but it's the type of conversation teams have this time of the year.

A lot can change in the next few days, but it sounds like Johnson will finish the year as the Commanders' quarterback.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: What's the QB plan for Week 18 vs. Eagles?