Although Marcus Mariota has only played two games for the Washington Commanders this season, his importance cannot be measured by the number of touchdown passes or the snaps he takes. Upon signing with Washington, the veteran understood his role was to mentor rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
This season, Daniels has often spoken about Mariota and what his presence has meant to him. Head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury have said similar things about Mariota.
During Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, Mariota stepped on the field to offer some encouraging words to Daniels. It was overtime, and Daniels carried his team into the red zone with several runs. Just before Mariota spoke to Daniels, the rookie took a hard hit just short of the goal line before a timeout.
That’s when Mariota walked onto the field to meet Daniels. When play resumed, Daniels found Zach Ertz for a touchdown and the Washington win.
After the game, reporters asked Daniels what Mariota said to him.
“Stand up, catch your air, get your wind, and go out there and execute,” Daniels said Mariota told him. “Use your God-given abilities, and let’s win this game.”
On Tuesday, audio of Mariota’s words to Daniels was revealed, as NFL Films had Daniels mic’d up during the game.
“Stand up, get your air,” Mariota said. “Stand up and get your air. Hey, use your God-given ability. Go win us the game.”
“Stand up, get your air… use your god-given ability. Go win us the game.”
Marcus Mariota’s words to Jayden Daniels before the OT game-winner
(via @NFLFilms) pic.twitter.com/cgyGgwCAvM
— NFL (@NFL) December 31, 2024
It was almost word-for-word what Daniels said Mariota told him.
When head coach Dan Quinn preaches brotherhood, he exactly means this. The veteran leader saw the young quarterback gassed and approached him, offering some encouraging words.
There was some mystery on how Mariota’s time with Atlanta ended two years ago. Some believed he quit on the team, but even former Falcons coach Arthur Smith said that’s not what happened. In his first season with the Commanders, Mariota has shown his value as a veteran presence.