Washington Commanders quarterbacks stick together, which is something Marcus Mariota has exemplified not just with his words, but his actions, since he began backing up Jayden Daniels in 2024.
After a Week 3 win over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in which he played well while replacing a then-injured Daniels, Mariota brushed aside questions of keeping the starting job and referred to the Commanders as Daniels’ team.
Most recently, Mariota came to Daniels in a private moment following the third-year QB’s clock-management mistake, which caused the Commanders to miss out on a chance to beat the New York Giants in Week 5.
Instead, Washington tied New York in brutally disappointing finish that brought with it an avalanche of criticism for Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn, as well as talk of Quinn’s immediate dismissal from his job.
“Marcus [Mariota] kind of told me — I’m not gonna say I’m one of the greats — but he told me every great one has been through adversity in their career,” Daniels said, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. “And you gotta deal with it. You gotta learn from it and move forward and not dwell on it and let it affect you.”
“Marcus (Mariota) kind of told me—I’m not gonna say I’m one of the greats, but he told me every great one has been through adversity in their career. And you gotta deal with it, you gotta learn from it and move forward and not dwell on it and let it
“Obviously, as a competitor, as a person, you feel like you let everybody around you down,” Daniels continued. “But I have a great team and people in the locker room who have my back and uplift me in those moments. And ultimately, I’m the one that has to take ownership of it and move forward from it.”
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels Made Solemn Promise to Teammates, Fans After Errors Against New York
Daniels also spoke directly to his teammates and the fans with a promise on Thursday.
“It will never happen again,” Daniels added, per John Keim of ESPN.
After his interview session on Thursday, Daniels said his entire focus is now on the team’s upcoming Week 6 contest against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers.
“I’m moving on to San Francisco,” Daniels said. “Can’t say [the criticism of me] is not warranted. … Can’t stop no one from saying their opinion about my process.”
Jayden Daniels’ Play Against Giants Offers Commanders Reason for Optimism Moving Forward
Daniels actually played exceptionally well against New York in his first action since dislocating his elbow in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.
Unfortunately, the sequence of events at the end of overtime in the Giants game has overshadowed all of his accomplishments from earlier in the day.
Daniels completed 17-of-25 pass attempts for 199 yards and also tallied 103 yards and two TDs on the ground, while leading Washington’s offense to 27 total points.
The Commanders now have a record of 1-3-1 on the year. They are also 7.5-point road underdogs against the 49ers as of Thursday night, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
Commanders’ Jayden Daniels Reveals Mariota’s Private Message After Brutal Giants Finish