WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Commanders are re-upping veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota to back up Jayden Daniels in the Offensive Rookie of the Year’s second NFL season
The Commanders agreed to re-sign Mariota on Wednesday, just before the start of the new league year, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract had not yet been signed.
Mariota, 31, is the latest experienced player to stay in Washington after tight ends Zach Ertz and John Bates and linebacker Bobby Wagner. The Commanders also worked out a couple of big trades to acquire wide receiver Deebo Samuel from San Francisco and left tackle Laremy Tunsil from Houston.
The Samuel trade, sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the 49ers, became official at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday. Tunsil still needs to pass a physical before that move can be completed, but the optimism is already buzzing on player group chats.
“Obviously adding a guy like Deebo is going to make all of our jobs a lot easier,” Ertz said. “Arguably the best left tackle in the league is going to make our job a lot easier.”
Bates, who signed a three-year deal, called them great moves and is thrilled to be getting Ertz and “the whole gang back together.”
Mariota was more than just a small part of that last season. He led the Commanders to a rout of Carolina in October in relief when Daniels left with injured ribs and clinched the sixth seed in the NFC by winning at Dallas in the finale when coach Dan Quinn pulled Daniels, citing leg soreness.
The No. 2 overall pick in 2015, nine years before Daniels was taken in that same spot in the draft, Mariota signed in Washington ready to serve as a mentor to a young QB or play as needed.
Mariota provided some advice just before Daniels threw the game-winning touchdown in overtime to beat Atlanta and get into the playoffs. And Quinn and Daniels repeatedly praised Mariota for his role in practice and on the sidelines before even throwing a pass.
“Even since before I ever got here, he’s always been a guy that when I first met him, very genuine, very nice and just was like, ‘If you need anything, just let me know,’” Daniels said last season. “Marcus has been like that since Day 1.”
Ertz, who signed his second contract with the Commanders on Tuesday, acknowledged getting Daniels and difference makers such as cornerback Mike Sainristil in the draft is part of building up organizational talent. But after general manager Adam Peters traded a handful of picks away to get proven talents such as Samuel and Tunsil, the 34-year-old in the twilight of his career does not mind those calculated risks.
“For a guy that wants to win now, just like everyone else in this building, sometimes it is a little bit of a shortcut to go get a proven commodity and a couple of those guys that are really, really, really good football players and that help our team immediately and there is no guessing or projection in that regard,” Ertz said. “It’s just an exciting time … because we’re doing everything we can to be the team we want to be. And I’m doing everything I can to be the player that I want to be, and AP is doing the same thing with the team.”
