In another case of football being just like life, if you find yourself owning anything of any substantial value, you’re going to want to have some solid insurance.
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.
In the case of the Washington Commanders, they actually have one of those competent backups in Marcus Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL draft.
In Mariota, who was an amazing teammate and part-time mentor to rookie superstar Jayden Daniels in 2024, the Commanders might not want to overlook the value that Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner, brings to the team. When they go on what should be one of the wildest spending sprees in team history when free agency begins on March 12, they should keep that in mind.
For the Commander to keep Mariota, who played on a 1-year, $6 million contract in 2024, it might be as simple as just offering him the exact same deal for 2025 after they slightly overpaid in 2024.
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.
Netflix Docuseries Painted Mariota in Bad Light
Most people who end up in a starring role on one of the most popular shows on Netflix usually come out of that experience in a much better position professionally.
Not Mariota.
His disastrous turn on the uber-popular Netflix docuseries “Quarterback” his life on and off the field ruing the 2022 season — his one year as the starter for the Atlanta Falcons. It was also a year in which he basically quit on the team after he was benched in favor of Desmond Ridder in Week 15.
Working in Mariota’s favor was that Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith, who was fired one year later, made the wrong move in benching Mariota. He spent one season with the Philadelphia Eagles as a backup in 2023 on a 1-year, $5 million contract and signed with the Commanders before the 2024 season as an insurance policy in case Daniels wasn’t ready.
Daniels One of NFL’s Best Quarterbacks as Rookie
Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner at LSU, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and established himself as the starter almost from the moment he stepped foot in the team’s facilities, leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record, winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and making it to the NFC Championship Game for the firs time since 1991.
Daniels taking over was a seamless transition, which owes a lot to Mariota’s professionalism. The few times he was pressed into service, he delivered.
Against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, Daniels went down with a rib injury on the first offensive series and Mariota came in to throw for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 40-7 win. In the regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, Mariota played the second half and led the Commanders to a 23-19 win by going 16-of-18 passing for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns to go with 56 rushing yards and 1 touchdown.
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