Commanders To Sign QB Marcus Mariota To One-Year Deal

The Washington Commanders have agreed to sign quarterback Marcus Mariota, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

It’s a one-year, $6 million deal that could be worth up to $10 million with incentives.

The Commanders own the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft and are widely expected to take a quarterback, so Mariota is certainly being signed as a backup (or possibly as a bridge starter if Washington feels its rookie signal-caller is not ready).

What’s interesting is that the Commanders still have Sam Howell on the roster, so this could be an indication that Washington plans on moving Howell.

Mariota spent the 2023 campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared in three games, going 15-for-23 with 164 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

The 30-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Oregon, was originally selected by the Tennessee Titans with the second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.

He spent the first five years of his career with the Titans, with his strongest season coming in 2016 when he threw for 3,426 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 61.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 95.6.

However, he was mostly a disappointment in Tennessee and ended up being benched midway through his fifth season in favor of Ryan Tannehill.

Marcus Mariota then joined the Las Vegas Raiders as a backup for two years before getting another chance to start with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He posted middling results in 13 starts with the Falcons before making his way to the Eagles last year.

The Commanders went 4-13 in 2023.