The Washington Commanders are dealing with problems that they haven’t had for a long time — the repercussions of their own success.
After making it to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991, may players on the Washington roster have become attractive targets for other teams. That includes backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton reported that Mariota could see a return to one of his former teams, the Las Vegas Raiders, after the Raiders took a big swing and missed in trying to get a deal done for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who ultimately just returned to the Rams.
“Like the New York Giants, the Las Vegas Raiders swung and missed in the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes, offering a two-year deal worth at least $90 million,” Moton wrote. “The Raiders might not make a strong offer to another signal-caller via trade or free agency … Las Vegas may not intend to invest significantly in a veteran quarterback, so maybe they sign Justin Fields or Marcus Mariota out of the bargain bin, but it’s too early to rule anyone out.”
With a strong draft class at the quarterback position in 2026 led by Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Penn State quarterback Drew Allar — not to mention what veteran quarterbacks might come available — it might be a smart move for the Raiders to not go all-in on a quarterback in 2025.
Mariota played 2025 on a 1-year, $6 million contract with the Commanders that was more of an insurance policy in case rookie Jayden Daniels wasn’t up to the task. With the Raiders having an estimated $95.6 million in salary cap space, Mariota might be able to replicate the money he got with Washington in Las Vegas, if not land an even bigger contract.
Mariota One of NFL’s Most Sought After Backup QBs
Mariota’s maturity and willingness to do whatever it takes to make sure Daniels felt comfortable, provide mentorship when needed and stay ready for action has made him one of the most sought after backup quarterbacks in the 2025 free agent cycle.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter had previously floated the Raiders or the Miami Dolphins as a possibility for Mariota in 2025. Mariota has already played for the Las Vegas Raiders once, when he was a backup to Derek Carr for 2 seasons in 2020 and 2021, where he made 11 appearances but no starts.
Commanders Might Be Smart to Try and Bring Back Mariota
The best move for the Commanders would probably be to use Mariota’s 2024 contract as the template for 2025 and see if he’ll take that same amount of money to stay in the fold.
In the case of an NFL team’s hopes and dreams for any season, the best insurance policy you can possibly have is a competent backup quarterback. Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL draft, fits the bill perfectly.
With offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury also back and Daniels headed into a critical sophomore season, creating roster continuity at the most important position would be worth the money.
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