If it wasn’t for Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota would be the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders, and a highly effective one. That’s according to a Hall of Famer who’s one of the best to ever play the position.
The hot take about Daniels’ deputy comes from Super Bowl winner Kurt Warner. Once at the controls for the famed ‘Greatest Show on Turf,’ Warner acknowledged Mariota “may not be a starter in every system, but he’s in the right system in WASH & I believe if JD wasn’t there he would be a solid starter in the NFL there!
On a side note – #MarcusMariota may not be a
Warner based his assessment on the brilliance of Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The latter is one of 54-year-old Warner’s “favorite play designer/callers,” and Kingsbury is credited with “good solid concepts that connect & have answers for QB!”
That’s no faint praise from somebody who made the 1999 and 2001 St. Louis Rams legendary among NFL offenses, before inspiring a high-powered Arizona Cardinals attack to earn the first and only Super Bowl berth in franchise history during the 2008 season.
Warner’s praise also underlines the smart team building undertaken by Commanders general manager Adam Peters. He safeguarded young star Daniels with a proven and scheme-friendly backup like Mariota.
Peters’ work was endorsed by another stellar cameo from Mariota in Week 3.
Marcus Mariota Has Repaired Career With Commanders
He didn’t make the grade with the Tennessee Titans, despite entering the pros as the second-overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft. Nor could he salvage his reputation during stints with the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders, but Mariota is repairing his career with the Commanders.
The 31-year-old is 2-1 as a starter for the Burgundy and Gold after being a model of efficiency during the recent 41-24 win over former team the Raiders. Mariota was understandably emotional after rushing for a touchdown and throwing for another at Northwest Stadium.
Plays like those are made possible because Kingsbury schemes so effectively for Mariota. His dual-threat talents mirror those of Daniels, and Mariota remains an effective runner on read-option plays, like the one highlighted by Commanders analyst Chad Ryan.
Gashing defenses on the ground has always been a core part of Mariota’s skill-set, but the Commanders aren’t being rendered one-dimensional whenever he steps in for injured Daniels.
Instead, Kingsbury is confident enough to scheme progressive throws designed to move the chains in big chunks. Mariota accepted the challenge by bossing the Silver and Black “on throws past the sticks,” per Pro Football Focus.
🎯 7/9 🎯 157 passing yards 🎯 1 TD | 0 INTs 🎯 155.8 passer rating
Being able to maintain what they do on the ground and through the air is why the Commanders handed Mariota a one-year contract worth $8 million this offseason. It’s handsome money for a a backup, but Mariota is playing himself into genuine interest in 2026 free agency, creating a not-insignificant potential problem for his current team.
Commanders Will Struggle to Find a Better Backup for Jayden Daniels
The Commanders used the second pick in the 2024 draft to take Daniels to be a franchise quarterback, and he’s so far delivered. Yet, the 24-year-old has also dealt with rib and knee injuries that have cost him time.
His rushing skills inevitably expose Daniels to hits his 6-foot-4, 210-pound must absorb. It leaves the Commanders needing a competent QB2 who can keep their particular brand of offense on track whenever Daniels isn’t available.
Mariota ticks all of those boxes, having “delivered big time whenever called upon with the Commanders. And he’s a great teammate who brings no drama. A perfect backup quarterback,” according to podcast host Al Galdi.
Replacing Mariota’s value won’t be easy, even though a pending free-agent QB like Trey Lance fits the bill as a ready backup with the multi-faceted skills to bring the Commanders‘ Daniels-esque concepts to life. Perhaps even a reunion with Sam Howell, currently warming the bench for NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles, would make sense.
It’s just as likely Peters could find himself having to offer Mariota eight figures to stick around for another year and continue fulfilling an unheralded but vital job description.
Hall of Famer Gives Bold Marcus Mariota, Jayden Daniels Take