Any honest Washington Commanders fan would prefer that Marcus Mariota not take snaps for the team, even though he is the most experienced and battle-tested quarterback.
That’s because the Commanders used the No. 2 overall pick in this April’s NFL Draft on quarterback Jayden Daniels and are hoping he won’t just play but perform well enough to lead the team back from the depths of the league.
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But Mariota will make history whether or not he steps onto the field for Washington’s regular season, as he will become the first quarterback in NFL history to wear the No. 0 jersey.
But history isn’t what Mariota was looking for when he picked this number — he’s wearing it for reasons that have more to do with the present and his history as a player.
Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota stretches before an OTA practice. / Photo by Emily Fails/Washington Commanders
“The zero is just a reminder to me,” Mariota told Commanders senior writer Zach Selby. “I’m in my 10th year. People think I can’t do it anymore. It’s like a reminder every day that, ‘Nobody’s really giving you a chance,’ so it’s nice to remind myself of that.”
In his nine years in the NFL, Mariota has gone from being the No. 2 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 draft to earning the title of “failure,” to getting a second chance to lead a franchise with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, to becoming a veteran backup and mentor to a young rookie quarterback whose throwing arm holds the franchise’s future.
Mariota learned a lot in those seasons: about himself, about humility and about what it really means to be an NFL quarterback, when it’s no longer just about the love of the game.
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Those are lessons Mariota wants to impart to Daniels as he begins his career, but it doesn’t mean he’s content with his role. He says he still has plenty of passion left.
“The passion is still there,” Mariota said after practice Wednesday. “There were times in my career where I was kind of devastated and I didn’t have the passion, but being with this staff and guys like (coach) Brian (Johnson) kind of brings it back. My whole career has been a rollercoaster of emotions with the love of the game and the love of football. When you get a job and you’re surrounded by great energy and great guys, it just ignites it again. Like I said, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity and I’m really enjoying it.”
For more coverage on the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season, listen to CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast.
