ASHBURN, Va. — Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn says organized team activities have been a success so far, with rookies and veterans learning to work together. One of the new faces on the team is veteran Quarterback Marcus Mariota.
A former Heisman Trophy winner, Mariota, 30, has appeared in 90 and started in 74 NFL games for four teams since being taken with the second pick in the 2015 draft, most recently serving as Jalen Hurts' backup in Philadelphia last season.
Now, he is embracing his role as being a sounding board for the Commanders new rookie QB Jayden Daniels.
"I feel like I've been through the gamut of everything," Mariota said at practice Thursday. "I've been a starter, I've been a backup, I've been hurt, I've been benched. I think for me, I try to just bring all those experiences into the room. I really believe that the quarterback position is one of the hardest in sports. When you have a solid foundation in the quarterback room, it really doesn't matter who's pulling the trigger, I think it's going to be beneficial for everybody."
Outside of the quarterback room, rookie Wide Receiver Luke McCaffrey is using his past experience as a QB in college to build a relationship with Daniels. And longtime Washington Defensive Tackle Jonathan Allen says he is excited to see Daniels play, and do his best to make his job as easy as possible.