The Washington Commanders and Marcus Mariota agreed to terms on a one-year, $8 million deal, according to team and league sources.
Mariota spent the 2024 season with the Commanders and was No. 111 overall and the seventh-ranked quarterback on The Athletic’s updated top 150 free-agents list.
In his one season with Washington as the backup to Jayden Daniels, Mariota passed for 364 yards and four touchdowns in three regular-season games, adding another 92 yards and a touchdown rushing. He notably led the Commanders to wins in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers after Daniels exited with an injury in the first quarter, as well as Week 18 against the Dallas Cowboys, playing the second half and throwing the game-winning touchdown to Terry McLaurin with three seconds to play.
Last season was the 10th of the 31-year-old quarterback’s NFL career. Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner, was selected with the No. 2 pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 draft.
He made 61 of his 74 career starts during his five seasons with the Titans from 2015 to 2019. His most recent starting role was with Atlanta in 2022, when he started the first 13 games of the season for the Falcons, passing for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions and rushing for 438 yards and four more touchdowns. Mariota also spent two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders (2020 and 2021) and another with the Philadelphia Eagles (2023) in a backup role before joining the Commanders last offseason.
In 93 career regular-season games, Mariota has thrown for 16,184 yards, 97 touchdowns and 55 interceptions and rushed for 2,156 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Mariota feels comfortable in Washington
Mariota loved playing for the Commanders last season. After bouncing around — Washington was his fourth team in four years — this new stop provided the former Heisman winner with a comfort level not felt in some time. The feeling was mutual.
Coach Dan Quinn constantly praised the quarterback room. Daniels rarely showed overt emotions but did when Mariota led Washington past Dallas in Week 18 with a late touchdown pass to McLaurin. The offense didn’t flicker in Mariota’s appearances.
Could Mariota have been tempted to sign elsewhere? You would think so. The timing of this re-signing comes one day after Daniel Jones agreed to terms with the Indianapolis Colts as competition for Anthony Richardson. That doesn’t seem coincidental. Other bridge quarterback situations closed. Washington kept the door open for Mariota’s return.
Jeff Driskel, another free agent, served as third-string last season with undrafted free agent Sam Hartman on the practice squad. We’ll see if the staff wants everyone back. At least the top two remain. — Ben Standig, Commanders beat writer
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(Photo: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
