Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Lands on injured reserve
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Mariota (chest) was placed on injured reserve Saturday.
Mariota suffered a chest injury Wednesday during practice, which will now keep him out at minimum until early October. The Commanders signed rookie Notre Dame product Sam Hartman from the practice squad to operate as the third-string quarterback behind starter Jayden Daniels and new backup Jeff Driskel to open the season.
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Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Won't play Week 1
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Mariota (chest) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.
Washington's new No. 2 quarterback won't be suiting up for the team's regular-season opener after logging DNPs during practice both Thursday and Friday. With Mariota sidelined, expect Jeff Driskel to back up rookie Jayden Daniels in Week 1.
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Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Doesn't practice Thursday
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Mariota (chest) wasn't present at Thursday's practice, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
One day removed from being a limited participant due to a chest injury, Mariota's lack of activity Thursday is a concerning sign only a few days ahead of Sunday's season opener at Tampa Bay. Considering it's a different health concern than the groin issue that he dealt with in the second half of August, there's a chance he's in danger of missing Week 1. Friday's practice report ultimately will give a sense of Mariota's chances to be available this weekend, but if he isn't active, Jeff Driskel likely would step into the No. 2 QB role behind rookie starter Jayden Daniels.
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Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Limited in practice
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Mariota was a limited practice participant Wednesday due to a chest injury.
Mariota missed two preseason games due to a groin injury and is now apparently dealing with a chest injury. The Commanders have Jeff Driskel on the roster to serve as Jayden Daniels' backup if Mariota isn't healthy enough to suit up this Sunday against the Buccaneers.
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Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Won't play Saturday
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Coach Dann Quinn said Thursday that Mariota (groin) is ruled out for Saturday's preseason game against the Dolphins, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.
Mariota seems entrenched as Washington's backup behind rookie first-round quarterback Jayden Daniels, but for the time being he'll need to focus on getting healthy. During Washington's preseason opener last week, Mariota took the field on the team's second drive, after Daniels left the field. With Mariota and Sam Hartman (shoulder) both dealing with injuries, the Commanders inked Trace McSorley on Thursday.
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Commanders' Marcus Mariota: Likely headed for backup role again
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Mariota will be joined by fellow Heisman winner and No. 2 overall draft pick Jayden Daniels in Washington's QB room.
The incoming rookie was a four-year college starter (five if you count a COVID-shortened season) and is already 23 years old, making him a strong bet to quickly take over as QB1 in Washington. Mariota presumably knew the Commanders were likely to use the No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback when he signed with them in March, but the team at least traded Sam Howell to Seattle, leaving the 30-year-old unchallenged for a backup role. It remains to be seen how the Commanders divide reps between Daniels and Mariota this spring and into summer.
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Eagles' Marcus Mariota: Ends year with 15 completions
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Mariota appeared in just three regular-season games as the Eagles' backup quarterback this season, completing 15 of 23 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
All but three of Mariota's passes came in Week 18. Mariota also added a brief appearance in the Eagles' 32-9 playoff loss to the Bucs, handing off twice at the end of the game to run out the clock with the result already decided. Given that Mariota was stuck looking for a backup job prior to this season, and given that he didn't get the chance to add anything meaningful to his resume this year, he'll presumably be stuck as a backup again next fall.
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Eagles' Marcus Mariota: Comes on in relief
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Mariota completed 13 of 20 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown with an interception after replacing Jalen Hurts late in the second quarter of Sunday's 27-10 loss to the Giants. He added 46 rushing yards on six carries.
The veteran QB entered the game with the Eagles already in a 24-0 hole, and Mariota promptly threw a pick on his first pass attempt before halftime. He did lead a couple scoring drives in the second half, but Philly never seemed close to staging a real rally. It's the most action Mariota has seen all season, and while the 30-year-old is a free agent in the offseason, he seems to be a good fit with the Eagles as Hurts' backup and could return on another affordable contract.
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Eagles' Marcus Mariota: Unremarkable in first half
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Mariota started the Eagles' 18-18 preseason tie with the Browns on Thursday night and completed nine of 17 passes for 86 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed once for five yards.
Mariota needs game reps in his new team's offense, so his extended stint in Thursday's contest makes sense. The veteran signal-caller was sharper in Philadelphia's preseason opener versus the Ravens while completing seven of 11 passes, but Mariota remains a lock for the role of Jalen Hurts' top backup come the regular season.
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Eagles' Marcus Mariota: Still learning offense
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Mariota has gotten off to a slow start during training camp, Martin Frank of The Delaware News Journal reports.
Mariota has thrown four interceptions in the first week of training camp. However, for the time being, that's being chalked up to him being on his third team in three seasons. According to teammate Boston Scott, "he's still learning the playbook, but he's a really smart guy. It's gonna take time, but you can see the tools for sure." Mariota will have plenty of time to adjust to the new offense and his role as Jalen Hurts' backup throughout the remainder of training camp and preseason.
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Marcus Mariota: Released by Atlanta
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The Falcons released Mariota (knee) on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Mariota's release has been expected, and frees up roughly $12 million in cap space for Atlanta. The 29-year-old ended the 2022 season on IR after having been benched for Desmond Ridder, finishing his only campaign as a Falcon with a 15:9 TD:INT through 13 appearances. Once fully recovered from his knee procedure, Mariota will likely draw interest from teams looking for a veteran backup quarterback.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Likely IR-bound due to knee
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Mariota has a knee injury and likely will be placed on injured reserve, according to coach Arthur Smith, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Mariota was benched for rookie Desmond Ridder during Atlanta's Week 14 bye, and while Smith insists Ridder's promotion was performance-based, Mariota's injury may have played a role in that decision. Atlanta recently signed quarterback Logan Woodside, who presumably will back up Ridder for the duration of Mariota's absence, off the Titans' practice squad. Mariota would miss the remainder of the regular season if placed on IR.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Throws game-sealing INT
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Mariota completed 13 of 24 passes for 167 yards, a touchdown and an interception during Sunday's 19-16 loss to Pittsburgh. He also rushed three times for 17 yards.
Mariota targeted Drake London, who fished with six receptions on 12 targets for 95 yards, early and often, but Atlanta's passing game struggled once again, though Mariota was able to somewhat salvage his outing by connecting with MyCole Pruitt for a seven-yard score in the third quarter. However, the dual-threat quarterback failed to record at least 20 rushing yards, ending an eight-game streak reaching that plateau. He also threw a game-sealing interception to Minkah Fitzpatrick on the Falcons' final offensive possession. Overall, it was an underwhelming day for Mariota, who's emerged as a viable streaming option due to his production on the ground, but he'll look to get back on track when the Falcons return to action following their Week 14 bye.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Costly pick in loss
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Mariota completed 15 of 25 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Commanders. He added six rushes for 49 yards.
From a fantasy perspective, Mariota performed as expected thanks to work with his legs, as he's now topped 40 rushing yards in five of his last eight games. He also tossed a four-yard touchdown pass on a misdirection play midway through the second quarter. However, Mariota's performance left plenty to be desired, as he averaged only 7.0 yards per attempt and also threw an interception at the Commnanders' goal line with just over a minute remaining in the contest. Despite the uninspiring performance, Mariota is likely to remain Atlanta's starting quarterback so long as the team remains in playoff contention.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Two scores in win
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Mariota completed 13 of 20 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 27-24 win over the Bears. He also rushed 13 times for 25 yards and an additional score.
Mariota threw a two-yard touchdown to Drake London on the Falcons' first drive of the game and gave Atlanta a 24-17 lead at the end of the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run. The quarterback didn't produce many yards, but he made plays when he needed to, avoided turnovers and found the end zone twice in the high-scoring win. Mariota continues to be a solid steaming option, but his overall production remains limited due to Atlanta's meager passing attack.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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I started the week liking Mariota as a streamer, and he might deliver a quality stat line against the Bears. He's scored at least 21 Fantasy points in three of his past five games, and Chicago has allowed at least 29 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in two of the past three contests. But my concern with Mariota is the Falcons need a win this week, and their formula for success has been to run, run and run some more. Arthur Smith doesn't want Mariota to make plays unless needed, and Atlanta should have the chance to play with a lead this week as three-point home favorites. For the season, Mariota is averaging 17.1 Fantasy points per game, and I would expect him to be in that range in this matchup. That makes him a low-end starter at best in one-quarterback leagues but not someone who is a must-start option across the board.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Week 11 Waiver Priority List
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It appears that Mariota will remain the Falcons starter for Week 11 against the Bears. Said coach Arthur Smith on Monday to the Atlanta media, "If we were going to make a change, I'd tell you." It's not a bad idea to stash Desmond Ridder (5 percent rostered) where available in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, but Mariota can be a streamer in one-quarterback leagues for Week 11. He scored at least 21 Fantasy points in three of his past five games. And the Bears have allowed two of their past three opposing quarterbacks to score at least 29 Fantasy points. Mariota is worth adding for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Sleeper QBs
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Let's hope Mariota is forced to throw this week. In two games with at least 25 pass attempts since Week 5, Mariota is averaging 23.5 Fantasy points per game. He's also doing a nice job with his legs in the past four games with at least 31 rushing yards in four games in a row, including one touchdown. Mariota should give you a safe floor since he has scored at least 19 Fantasy points in three of his past four games, including two games with 28 points over that span. It's not an easy matchup this week against the Chargers, who allow an average of just 18.1 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, but Mariota should provide a safe floor to trust him as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: Throws three touchdowns in win
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Mariota completed 20 of 28 passes for 253 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during Sunday's 37-34 win over the Panthers. He also rushed six times for 43 yards.
Mariota's second pass of the game was intercepted, but he bounced back and submitted an efficient performance through the air en route to a season-high 253 passing yards. The quarterback's dual-threat ability was also on display again as he rushed for at least 30 rushing yards for a fourth straight game, totaling 185 rushing yards during that stretch. Mariota's first touchdown was a well-designed play that left Kyle Pitts wide open for a two-yard score, but his second and third scores were nice throws that turned into big plays with great efforts from Tyler Allgeier and Damiere Byrd. Sunday's performance marked the veteran's best performance of the season, and he'll look to build off his success against the Chargers in Week 9.
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Falcons' Marcus Mariota: QBs to Sit
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Mariota was great in Week 6 against San Francisco with 28 Fantasy points, but that's his lone outing with more than 19 points this season. I like that he ran for at least 50 yards in consecutive games, but he's attempted 26 passes in five games in a row, including a season-low 14 against the 49ers. He might have to throw more this week against the Bengals if the Falcons are chasing points, but Cincinnati has been outstanding against opposing quarterbacks all year. No quarterback has more than 15 Fantasy points against this defense, including Lamar Jackson in Week 5.
