After spending a year as a backup for Jalen Hurts with the Eagles, Marcus Mariota is signing with the Washington Commanders. Once a promising QB prospect out of Oregon, Mariota has turned into more of a journeyman. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report the news.
He was drafted No. 2 overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2015 and compiles a 29-32 record as a starter there in four years. The problem was that it was a revolving door for coaches and coordinators in his time. He was never able to get comfortable in an offensive scheme. He also went 5-8 as a starter with the Atlanta Falcons. There’s a possibility that he could get another shot at starting in 2024. The Commanders are likely to draft one of the top QBs in the draft.
During his one season with the Falcons, Mariota threw for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 13 starts. Though, they benched him in favor of Desmond Ridder. With some changes in Washington, the Commanders now have some familiarity to Marcus Mariota. Although he never played under Dan Quinn with the Falcons, he will be reuniting with former Eagles Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson. Mariota appeared in three games for the Eagles and completed 15 of 23 passes for 164 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
Johnson equips his quarterbacks with a list of pre-snap checks, Mariota’s experience and understanding of that should be able to help whoever the Commanders land at No. 2. With the combination of Quinn, Kliff Kingsbury and Johnson the Commanders may have an offensive scheme similar to the one that Chip Kelly ran at Oregon.
Pairing Mariota with someone like Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy makes sense. Mariota excelled in that scheme. He could also be a viable option to start if the Commanders want to give their new QB some time to develop.
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