The Washington Commanders are adding some depth to its quarterback room. The club has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran Marcus Mariota, according to CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The deal has a base value of $6 million but also possesses a maximum value of $10 million, per Jones.
This is the first step in what is likely a seismic offseason at this position for Washington, who owns the No. 2 overall pick at the 2024 NFL Draft and is widely assumed to take a quarterback with that selection. Currently, the Commanders quarterback room consists of 2023 starter Sam Howell and now Mariota.
This is Mariota's fifth stop in the NFL and fourth in as many seasons. Last year, he served as the backup to Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia, while he also had stints with Falcons (briefly as the starter) and Raiders (primarily the backup) over the prior seasons. The former Heisman Trophy winner entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick of the Tennessee Titans back in 2015 out of Oregon and started 61 games for the franchise while owning a 29-32 record in the regular season.
Unlike his stints in Tennessee and Atlanta (2022), Mariota likely isn't viewed as a starter for the Commanders. If so, it'd be as a brief stopgap for whoever the club takes in the draft. More likely, the 30-year-old is a top-tier backup similar to the role he held with the Eagles last season.
On top of his contributions as a player, Mariota could prove to be a key resource that the Commanders may utilize if they do select a quarterback in the first round. As a former No. 2 overall pick in his own right, Mariota would share a similar starting point to his career that could be beneficial to their first-round rookie as he is ushered into the NFL.
For his career, Mariota is 34-40 as a starter and has completed 62.7% of his passes with an 89.2 passer rating.
