The Washington Commanders did Jayden Daniels a solid after drafting the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and having a top-notch support system already in place for him when he showed up.
Part of that support system was backup quarterback Marcus Mariota — himself a former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick — who dutifully served as Daniels’ backup and part-time mentor during a historic season.
The Commanders overpaid for Mariota in 2024 by about half, signing him to a 1-year, $6 million contract that served more as an insurance policy if Daniels couldn’t handle being the starter. In 2025, Mariota might be able to get that kind of money elsewhere, if not a larger sum. In that scenario, the Commanders should make sure the next backup is a veteran presence like Mariota was.
One affordable option the Commanders should consider is veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who played 2024 as Matthew Stafford’s backup on the Los Angeles Rams on a 1-year, $3.1 million contract. Garoppolo’s projected market value in 2025 would likely be another 1-year, $3 million contract.
From The Athletic’s 2025 NFL free agent rankings: “Garoppolo is here not because of his on-field production (he played in just one game, a 30-25 loss and went 27 of 41 for 334 yards, two touchdowns and an interception) but because of his position, and the premium placed on reliable backups. He’ll also get the Sean McVay bump after spending a season backing up star quarterback Matthew Stafford.”
Garoppolo in Journeyman Stage of Career
Garoppolo, 33 years old, is in the twilight of his career, after a decade in which he’s accumulated $151.7 million in career earnings while being the starter for 3 different teams.
Garoppolo was a second round pick (No. 62 overall) by the New England Patriots in the 2014 NFL draft out of Eastern Illinois after winning the 2013 Walter Payton Award as the top player in FCS. He spent 4 seasons with the Patriots and won 2 Super Bowls as Tom Brady’s backup before he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers midway through the 2017 season.
Garoppolo went 5-0 a the 49ers’ starter to close out the 2017 season and signed a 5-year, $137.5 million contract extension with the franchise in February 2018. He tore his ACL 3 games into the 2018 season but returned to start every game in 2019 and lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl. He signed a 3-year, $72.75 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2023 but was released one year later.
Mariota Could Be Perfect Fit in AFC East
ESPN’s Adam Schefter predicted Mariota will end up a prime target of the Miami Dolphins, who are in desperate need of a backup quarterback to oft-injured starter Tua Tagovailoa.
In an interesting twist, both Tagovailoa and Mariota played high school football for the same high school — prep powerhouse Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Commanders had their best season in over 30 years with the braintrust of Daniels, Mariota and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who turned his back on a possible head coaching opportunity to return in 2025.
The smartest move for the Commanders might be to offer Mariota the exact same contract he had in 2024 in order to keep him in the fold.
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