Commanders QB Labeled 'Game Manager' Amongst NFL Backups

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota was listed as a "game manager" backup.

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-Imagn Images / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders roster has been set and the team is preparing for their first test of their regular season when they head to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers.

The Commanders did a great job of upheaving the roster from last year, with many new faces to boot, and are looking to turn their fortunes around sooner rather than later.

The restructuring of the roster will hopefully pay dividends for the Commanders and a large part of how the team performs this upcoming season will lie on the shoulders of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

READ MORE: What's Commanders Biggest Strength Going Into Season?

Daniels is a dual-threat quarterback who is electrifying with the ball in his hands, but since his collegiate days, he has shown a knack for putting himself into bad positions that ultimately could have led to serious injury. Luckily for him, he has been able to avoid that, but if he were to get injured during the season that means that the Commanders would have to go next man up with veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota.

Mariota hasn't been a regular starter in the league since he was with the Tennessee Titans, and outside of his one season in Atlanta back in 2022, and has mostly been relegated to an NFL backup. To most, Mariota seems like a solid, veteran leader as a backup, but according to a recently released article by Bleacher Report, they place him in the "game manager" tier of backup quarterbacks around the league with the likes of Cooper Rush, Mitchell Trubisky, Taylor Heinicke, Jarrett Stidham, and Josh Johnson.

READ MORE: Why Commanders Can Go From Worst to First in NFC East

Now we aren't saying that Mariota is by any means one of the top backups in the league, but placing the former second overall draft pick in the second to last tier of backup quarterbacks doesn't seem fitting. He has proven to be a solid quarterback when in play and brings a wealth of knowledge into a position room. Yes, there are flaws, but having him amongst the names aforementioned seems a bit disrespectful.

Hopefully, for the Commanders they don't have to find out if Mariota still has it or not, but much of that will rely on how Jayden Daniels can keep himself clean and uninjured as the season progresses along.

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