What Marcus Mariota Said About Supporting Washington ...

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award at the NFL Honors on Thursday night before Super Bowl LIX. While former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota would never take any credit for the award, his role as a mentor and leader for Daniels in the Washington quarterback room was a consistent presence throughout the season.

Before the NFC Championship Game, Mariota talked about his role backing up Daniels while also trying to guide him through the postseason.

"Being consistent for him, helping him understand like, 'Hey, we understand this is round three, but let's continue just to find ways to get better and everything else will be taken care of,'" Mariota said to Scott Abraham of 7News DC.

In the offseason Commanders coach Dan Quinn spoke to the value that Mariota brings to the quarterback room after selecting Daniels out of LSU with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“In a perfect scenario, a young quarterback would have a leader to also learn from, but perfect rarely happens. But we do have that in Marcus Mariota. Him sharing nine years of gold with Jayden, I think, has been something that’s really cool for us to see. Rookie quarterbacks usually don’t get that, and we do," said Quinn.

In the regular season, Daniels rushed for 891 yards, setting a record for rookie quarterbacks. His 3,568 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns ranked second among all rookies, only behind Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

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Daniels led his team to a 12-5 finish in the regular season, earning the No. 6 seed in the NFC. The Commanders reached the NFC Championship before being eliminated by the Philadelphia Eagles.

During Washington's playoff run, Mariota credited Quinn and the coaching staff for preparing the team throughout the season.

"I think coach Quinn does an unbelievable job of building that championship mindset, way back in April," Mariota said. "And let's just stick to that process. Finding ways to improve, finding ways to get better, focusing on today and building up to the game, and everything else will be taken care of."

"I try to approach it the same every week, making sure that I'm preparing, but also helping [Jayden Daniels], and if my number is called, just being ready to roll," Mariota continued.

Although the Commanders fell short of the Super Bowl, the future feels bring in Washington with Daniels at quarterback.

The future for Mariota, on the other hand, is rather unclear. As a free agent, will the former Oregon Duck return to Washington? According to reports from Adam Schefter, a reunion with the Las Vegas Raiders and newly hired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could be in play for Mariota. Additionally, Schefter hinted at the Miami Dolphins as a possible destination.

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