Marcus Mariota, Commanders Agree to New Contract, How Much Will QB Make as Jayden Daniels' Backup?

Marcus Mariota is sticking around in the nation's capital.

The veteran quarterback reportedly re-signed with the Washington Commanders on a one-year, $7 million contract that can be worth up to $11 million, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Mariota, 32, saw plenty of playing time in the 2025 season given the injury issues of starter Jayden Daniels. In 11 games (eight starts) he threw for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 61.2 percent of his passes and taking 16 sacks. He also rushed for 297 yards and a score, but the Commanders were just 2-6 in his start.

He started his career with the Tennessee Titans and spent five seasons before the team moved on. Mariota has been something of a journeyman backup since, with stints for the Las Vegas Raiders (2020-21), Atlanta Falcons (2022), Philadelphia Eagles (2023), Commanders (2024-25) and now TEAM.

He remains a solid option as a backup quarterback, especially for teams who build spread concepts and designed quarterback runs into their scheme. Having to rely on Mariota for nearly an entire season, like Washington did, isn't ideal. But in a pinch he's a solid option at backup quarterback and provides security and continuity for Washington behind Daniels.