Marcus Mariota has traveled a long football journey since he was a star for the Oregon Ducks.
He’s still hanging around as a quarterback in the NFL, though, and he’s on the field in a high-profile game on Sunday for the Washington Commanders.
Washington usually has Jayden Daniels in the game, but that had to change midway through their matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
It’s up to Mariota now.
Why Is Marcus Mariota Playing?
Mariota is in the game because Daniels got hurt.
Late in the first half, Daniels got tackled awkwardly and had his left elbow bend in a way it’s not supposed to.
It’s the same elbow Daniels injured last season, and he was ruled out quite quickly with a dislocated elbow.
Daniels had to miss multiple games last season, and it’s likely he’ll have to do so again.
Mariota is the backup QB for the Commanders, so he came into the game and will handle the duration as Washington tries to pick up a divisional win.
He did lead a field goal drive on the first drive out of halftime, so it was a solid start for the Mariota-led offense.
Marcus Mariota Path From Oregon
Mariota was an absolute star at Oregon, which led him to win the Heisman Trophy in the 2014 season.
That also earned him selection at No. 2 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Mariota put together winning records in three of his first four seasons in the NFL, but then he started to be moved on from as a starter.
He ended up as a backup with the Raiders in 2020 and 2021.
In 2022 with Atlanta, Mariota had a 5-8 record in 13 games started for the Falcons.
He was then an Eagles backup in 2023 and has been Washington’s backup since 2024.
Mariota has a career 36-46 record as an NFL starter.
He has completed 62.8% of passes in his career for 17,879 yards and 107 touchdowns while being intercepted 62 times. Relative to most backups, Mariota does do a good job of protecting the football.
Mariota has also been a good runner throughout his football career. In the NFL, he has 425 carries for 2,453 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Even last year, despite being older, Mariota ran 50 times for 297 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and a touchdown for the Commanders.
He’s now 32 years old, and will turn 33 on Oct. 30.
The 6-foot-4 native of Hawaii is going to be in the spotlight more in the weeks ahead, it appears, based on the appearance of Daniels’ injury.
It’ll be up to Mariota to prove he can still get the job done. Those who rooted for him at Oregon more than a decade ago will still believe in him, for sure.
Why Is Marcus Mariota Playing? Oregon Legend At QB For Commanders, Not Jayden Daniels