How important is it for the Commanders to be bringing back Marcus Mariota in 2025?
At the NFL owners meetings this Tuesday, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was asked about the importance of Mariota returning for 2025. The questioner asked regarding Mariota's importance in the locker room and for starter Jayden Daniels' development.
Quinn's response should not be overlooked. "And he really played well," replied Quinn. "And I think that is an important piece to it because ...the teammate he is, the respect that he has among not just the offensive players but the entire team. There were some times in practice he was absolutely throwing dimes against the defense and made it as hard a look as you could have possibly imagined."
Translation: This is the NFL, and we can't simply have our backup quarterback be good for us in the quarterback meeting rooms and in our locker room. We need our backup quarterback to be able to play, because he is always one big hit on our starter (Jayden Daniels) away from being in the game.
Sure enough, Quinn nailed it. In two games last season (2024), Mariota was called upon to win a game. Jayden Daniels was injured against the Panthers. Mariota entered the game and completed 18 of his 23 passing attempts for 205 yards, two touchdowns, and an impressive 8.9 yards per passing attempt for a passer rating of 132.8.
In the season finale against the Cowboys in Dallas, Daniels was ineffective and struggling. Mariota came in and frankly rescued the offense from its impotence that day, completing 15 of 18 attempts for 161 passing yards and two touchdowns. He again averaged 8.9 yards per passing attempt and achieved an even higher passer rating of 141.
In the second half, Mariota led touchdown drives of 70, 70, and 91 yards. The final drive included Mariota pulling off a beautiful 33-yard run and then connecting with Terry McLaurin for the winning touchdown pass with only three seconds remaining.
"That speaks to who the competitor is. But to have him back, one as a player, two as a teammate, it was really important, and we're really pumped," insisted Quinn. "I felt like I've known Marcus coaching against him for a while. But to actually coach him this year was all that I hoped it would be."
Indeed, the quarterback is your most important player, and in some games, the second-most important player might actually be the No. 2 quarterback. Mariota proved that true twice last season, and consequently, Quinn is glad to see Mariota return.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Marcus Mariota is one of the more important Commanders
