The Commanders will once again have stability at the quarterback spot in 2026. Marcus Mariota has agreed to another new Washington deal.
The veteran quarterback is set to re-sign on a one-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. This latest Mariota contract has a base value of $7MM and can top out at $11MM via incentives. Mariota has been with the Commanders since Jayden Daniels‘ rookie season (2024), and the two will continue to work together.
Knee and elbow issues forced Daniels to miss more than half his games in 2025, opening the door for Mariota to start eight of his 11 appearances. This was the most work the veteran QB had seen since he started 13 games for the Falcons back in 2022.
The results were mixed. The Commanders ended up going only 2-6 in Mariota’s eight starts, but the QB did manage to toss 10 touchdowns vs. only seven interceptions. He also had one of his most productive rushing seasons since his early days in Tennessee. The 32-year-old ultimately finished the 2025 campaign with 297 rushing yards on 50 carries.
The Commanders are hoping they won’t see nearly as much of Mariota in 2026. However, another sizable commitment to the backup QB at least shows that the team isn’t entirely comfortable with Daniels’ health.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Atta boy