At one time in his NFL journey, Marcus Mariota was seen as one of the bright, young, and up-and-coming quarterbacks as a former Heisman Trophy winner from Oregon.
While his career never took off as he would have hoped, Mariota has found a home with the Washington Commanders backing up another former Heisman Trophy winner in Jayden Daniels.
Used sparingly in replacement of the Offensive Rookie of the Year, Mariota played in three games while throwing four touchdowns and not allowing an interception.
The former second overall pick of the Tennessee Titans re-signed with the Commanders this offseason in a move that was celebrated not only by the roster, but the fans who have grown to appreciate his importance.
"The grass isn't always greener, and being around this league for a long time, you understand that when you have a good thing and you have a great culture and you have a great room, that's not everywhere," Mariota said in his press conference following his decision to return to the Commanders for 2025. "At the end of the day, something was going to have to really knock my socks off to leave this place, and I'm very happy and very blessed to be back, and I'm excited to make another run with this team."
Want good news? Good things will happen if the Commanders never see Mariota play.
That's not a knock on the veteran. It's just as a backup quarterback, the only way the Commanders will see him on the field is if something happens to Daniels.
At the very least, Washington should feel confident they have a top backup in the league ready to go.
