Marcus Mariota on Commanders' quarterback battle: 'Competition makes everybody better'

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota is not afraid of competition, despite the team drafting Jayden Daniels last month. While speaking to reporters during OTAs on Wednesday, Mariota was asked about the QB battle between him and Daniels.

“I think competition makes everybody better,” Mariota said. “Regardless of who is the starter Day 1, I checked my ego a long time ago. I really believe that when you have a healthy quarterback room that’s really trying to compete and make each other better, you’re going to eventually get everybody in that room to play at their best level.

“Regardless of who’s the starter Week 1, I’m going to do everything I can to be the best version of myself and also bring out the best out of my teammates.”

Mariota, 30, is entering his 10th NFL season. He signed with the Commanders in March after spending the 2023 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Mariota, an Oregon alum, has played in 90 games with 74 starts for the Eagles, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans.

It’s likely Daniels will be the starter once theseason begins since he’s the No. 2 overall pick and has a bigger upside than Mariota. At the start of his press conference on Wednesday, Mariota shared his thoughts on Daniels.

Marcus Mariota says Jayden Daniels ‘looks good’

“He looks good,” Mariota revealed. “I think he really moves well, throws the ball well and for a young guy that’s coming in, he seems to really commmand the offense. I think that’s very important in the quarterback position to stand in front of these guys, especially older players and kind of nail it and say, ‘I got this. I got this figured out.’

Mariota continued: “We just got to continue to help him grow and develop. At the end of the day when we’re all competing in that room, it makes ever one of us better.”

When Mariota signed with the Commanders in March, he explained that the coahcing staff is a big reason why he signed with the team. “It really came down to I want to be part of an incredible coaching staff,” he said, per Sports Illustrated. “(Coach Dan Quinn) has had such a great reputation across the league and for me to be a part of this and to meet with them today, I can just fell the vide in the facility and I;m excited to get to work.