The former first-round pick, Marcus Mariota, is embracing the post-starter life in the NFL to the fullest. Although he had to do some moving around over the years, Mariota looks forward to continuing his role as a backup for Jayden Daniels on the Washington Commanders.
"It was one of those things hard to pass up, and you want to go somewhere where you're wanted," Mariota said, via PFT. "They were very adamant that they wanted me back for another year."
It's difficult to find stability as a backup in the NFL. Typically, teams tend to keep investments short-term when it comes to the second-stringers of the position. While Mariota hasn't landed a long-term deal to stay in Washington, he was more than happy with playing for the same team in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2021.
"I love coach [Dan Quinn] and just [offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury] and the offense, and for me, it was like a no-brainer," Mariota added. To stand here 11 years in - very, very few people get an opportunity to do that. So I'm thankful for every day and the ability to go into work and have fun, cut it loose, and have such a great room that makes it so much better, too. I'm just kind of having fun with it, rolling with the punches. Whatever comes, if they need me, I'm ready to play."
Last season, Mariota appeared in just three games for the Commanders. He threw 44 passes, totaling 364 yards and four touchdowns. He embraced a mentor role, playing behind the young star, Jayden Daniels.
"I'm here for Jay, and just making sure he's playing to the best of his ability," the veteran QB finished.
Coming out of Oregon in 2015, Mariota was a second-overall pick for the Tennessee Titans. Similar to Daniels, he was drafted to be the face of the franchise, garnering that pressure immediately. Being in similar shoes years before Daniels suited up for the Commanders, Mariota has plenty of valuable advice to give, especially since Daniels is entering a critical second season in the NFL.
Mariota wrapped up his Tennessee tenure after five seasons. When he was 27, he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. He spent two seasons in Nevada before making a move to Atlanta to play for the Falcons. After a 13-game run with the Falcons, Mariota joined the Philadelphia Eagles for a season. Now, he's finding a home in Washington, for the time being.
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