What Jameis Winston Said About Marcus Mariota 'Rivalry,' Training In Oregon Together

NFL quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota have been linked forever in a "rivalry" due to entering the NFL as the first and second picks in the 2015 NFL Draft. Are the two friendly? Have they trained together? Winston won the Heisman Trophy in 2013 at Florida State and Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014 at Oregon.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) and Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) greet each other before the game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Dsc 3752 / George Walker IV / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

NFL quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota have been linked forever in a "rivalry" due to entering the NFL as the first and second picks in the 2015 NFL Draft. Are the two friendly? Have they trained together? The always-entertaining Winston addressed his relationship with the former Oregon Ducks star Mariota on an episode of Bussin' With The Boys.

"I definitely felt (the rivalry) throughout the (NFL) combine process, man," Winston said. "Me and Marcus were training at the same place. And, we never would work out together. If I was in the building, he was either leaving, he was gonna go somewhere else. Like, it was just never the brotherhood that you see the one and two typically has. You know I'm saying? It was just like, let's work, but I ain't trying to do it together."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) and Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) greet each other before the game at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019 in Nashville, Tenn. Dsc 3752 / George Walker IV / Tennessean.com, Nashville Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Florida State star, Winston won the Heisman Trophy in 2013 and Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014 at Oregon. The two quarterbacks dominated college football and headlines, culminating in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015 in the College Football Playoff Seminfinal game. Mariota led the Ducks to a 59-20 victory to end Winston's college career.

Then, the quarterbacks trained in the same facility for the 2015 NFL Draft, but as Winston said, did not bond or train together. Winston was selected No. 1 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans drafted Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick.

Again, it was all eyes on Mariota and Winston in their NFL debuts, in which they played each other. Mariotta completed 13-of-15 passes for 209 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in the Tennessee Titans’ 42-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 13, 2015. Winston finished with 210 yards on 16-of-33 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Tampa Bay.

Now, 10 years later, the relationship between Mariota and Winson has evolved.

"Last year, man, I took time just searching, like, who can I train with? I took the accountability of going out to Oregon. And Marcus was out there. That was the first time in 10 years we actually trained together," Winston said.

"It was such a surreal moment because Marcus was the one that was showing me the exercise. I was like, 'dang, like Marcus, you done had this upper hand on me this whole time.' You could have been put me on, dog. Like what's going on? His mental was already ahead, like to focusing on his family, his journey. Like he wasn't into all the things that I was into," Winston continued.

Dec 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota poses with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the Heisman Trophy. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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One of the most beloved Ducks of all time, Mariota is the only player from Oregon to win theHeisman Trophy, and he is also the first player born in Hawai'i to win the award.

Mariota is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March. During the 2024 season, Mariota played for the Washington Commanders as the backup for NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year, Jayden Daniels.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn spoke to the value that Mariota brings to the quarterback room after selecting Daniels out of LSU with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“In a perfect scenario, a young quarterback would have a leader to also learn from, but perfect rarely happens. But we do have that in Marcus Mariota. Him sharing nine years of gold with Jayden, I think, has been something that’s really cool for us to see. Rookie quarterbacks usually don’t get that, and we do," said Quinn.

Jan 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (18) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Which team will the former Oregon Duck play for in 2025? According to reports from Adam Schefter, a reunion with the Las Vegas Raiders and newly hired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could be in play for Mariota. Schefter also hinted at the Miami Dolphins as a possible destination.

Winton is with the Cleveland Browns and recently showcased is fun-loving personality at the Super Bowl in New Orleans as a Fox Sports digital correspondent.

Mariota and Winston will be forever linked during their football careers, and now it appears, are embracing a friendship as well.

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