Oregon Ducks' Marcus Mariota Changes Jersey Number with Washington Commanders

The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner with the Oregon Ducks is heading into his tenth season in the National Football League. Marcus Mariota will be stepping into a backup role under the future of the Washington Commanders, Jayden Daniels.

Aug 10, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (0) passes during the first quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Boland-USA TODAY Sports

Marcus Mariota started wearing the No. 8 when he was playing soccer as a kid. The number paid homage to the eight major islands of Hawaii. After wearing the number for the entirety of his athletic career, the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner for the Oregon Ducks will be changing his jersey number to No. 0 with the Washington Commanders.

He will be the first quarterback in the National Football League to ever wear the jersey number after the league changed their policy in 2023 to include the No. 0 as an option for skill players for the first time since 1973. That wasn't the main reason that Mariota decided to make the switch.

"Zero is something for me that's just a reminder. I'm in year 10. People don't think I can do it anymore. It's just kind of a reminder everyday of 'nobody really gives you a chance.' And it's cool to be able to remind yourself."

- Marcus Mariota

Jul 25, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterbacks Marcus Mariota (0), Jayden Daniels (5), and Sam Hartman (11) drop back to pass a ball during drills on day two of Commanders training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Mariota was named the backup quarterback for the Washington Commanders after throwing only one pass for six yards during the preseason. He will be Jayden Daniels' veteran and act like a support system as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft goes through his rookie campaign. Given all his football experience, Mariota is the perfect role model for the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner with the LSU Tigers.

"I bring a lot of value in a lot of different aspects. If I'm called upon to be ready to play, I'm very confident in that and I'm also very confident in my role as a mentor. Whatever this Washington staff and whatever this team needs of me, I'm going to do it to the best of my abilities and ultimately try to win games here."

- Marcus Mariota

The No. 2 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in 2015 has 15,820 yards, 93 touchdowns and a completion rate of 62.7% in his nine-year NFL career. With the Ducks, he holds Pac-12 records for career touchdowns with 135 and career total offensive yards at 13,089. Mariota was named the 2014 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and apart of the All-Pac-12 First Team from 2012-14.

Last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Mariota was the backup to Jalen Hurts. He played in just three games while throwing one touchdown and one interception. He's also had stints with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2020-21 and the Atlanta Falcons in 2022.

As for his fantasy football impact, it's probably best to look elsewhere around the league for an actual starting quarterback. According to ESPN, Mariota is projected to have only 31.95 total fantasy football points as Daniels will get majority of the snaps. Last season, Mariota had 11.76 total fantasy football points for the Eagles.

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