AIEA, Hawaii — For the first time in a few years, Marcus Mariota was motivated to stay put.
Mariota, who agreed to a one-year, $8 million extension with the Washington Commanders in March, recently reflected on his decision to remain with the NFC contender in the role of primary backup and mentor to rising star quarterback Jayden Daniels.
In an interview with Hawaii media at his annual Motiv8 Foundation fundraiser golf tournament on June 23, the 31-year-old Saint Louis School graduate spoke of his peace with the role at the 11-year mark of his NFL career and enthusiasm for what could come in the 2025 season.
“For me, it was one of those things hard to pass up, and you want to go somewhere where you’re wanted,” Mariota said. “And they were very adamant that they wanted me back for another year. I love coach, DQ (Dan Quinn) and just Kliff (coordinator Kingsbury) and the offense, and for me, it was like a no brainer.
“To stand here 11 years in — very, very few people get an opportunity to do that,” Mariota added. “So I’m thankful for every day and the ability to go into work and have fun, cut it loose, and have such a great (quarterback) room that makes it so much better, too. I’m just kind of having fun with it, rolling with the punches. Whatever comes, if they need me, I’m ready to play. Otherwise, I’m here for Jay, and just making sure he’s playing to the best of his ability.”
Mariota is preparing to enter his third straight season, and fifth in the last six years, as a primary backup. He appeared in three games for the Commanders in the 2024 season, throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 77.3% (34 of 44) of his throws.
Mariota stepped in for Daniels in a lopsided win over the Carolina Panthers in October, and helped lead the team to a win in the regular-season finale against the rival Dallas Cowboys.
The Commanders went all the way to the NFC Championship, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 55-23. While short of the ultimate goal, the postseason run ended a lengthy drought of NFC title game appearances for the franchise since winning the Super Bowl in January 1992.
Mariota said the franchise’s resurgent following should get its shine in a number of prime-time games in the 2025 season. The team went through its minicamp in Ashburn, Va., in June and will report to full training camp in late July.
“I was very surprised at how big the fan base is,” he said. “People had mentioned to me when I was going to sign there last year. It was kind of a sleeping giant of a fan base … they had such a great run in the ‘70s and ‘80s where teams or people across the country had really followed the Washington Commanders.
“Then you kind of went through this run that we did, and toward the end of the year, you start to see kind of how that fan base loves the team. And being in that area, the DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) area, like it’s, it’s cool, it’s got, like what people talk about, it’s, it’s football, and they love it up there, and I’m excited to see kind of what that turnout looks like, especially with our new owner, and kind of what they’re doing with the franchise in the organization.”
Marcus Mariota inspected inventory at his Motiv8 golf tournament on June 23. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Mariota said “the sky’s the limit” for the LSU product Daniels, a fellow former Heisman Trophy winner who is considered a dual threat. Daniels was the No. 2 overall pick in 2023.
“It was really unique for me, because I felt like I was kind of reliving my career, in a sense, where I was trying to help guide him in this, in ways where maybe I made a mistake or where I could have been better,” Mariota said. “So it’s kind of like reliving that all over again. That experience was really fun for me. It was actually really rewarding. And to have someone like Jay, who’s just an unbelievable dude off the field, too.”
At the risk of embarrassing Daniels, he said the Associated Press 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year wished his wife, Kiyomi, a happy Mother’s Day.
The last time Mariota was a full-time starter was for the Atlanta Falcons in 2022; he gave way to rookie Desmond Ridder for the last few games of that season.
But since that time — including a stop in Philadelphia to back up Jalen Hurts in 2023 — Mariota has grown a family. His daughter Makaia is 2½ and he and Kiyomi just welcomed their second child, Maika, in December.
His annual golf tournament, this year at Pearl at Kalauao, is typically an opportunity to catch up with local friends and recognize Motiv8’s partnerships for the past year. The nonprofit just made 10 years.
Motiv8 partnered with Shoes that Fit, First Hawaiian Bank and Project Vision to give away 800 pairs of Nike shoes to keiki at Kohala Elementary, Middle and High Schools on Hawaii Island. The organization helped to sponsor the inaugural season of HHSAA girls flag football and for the third year in a row was the title sponsor of the HHSAA boys and girls soccer championships.
In Oregon, his group is tied with WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu’s SI20 Foundation, while in Washington he partnered with teammate Zach Ertz and his Ertz Family Foundation to distribute coats and meals to people in the D.C. area.
He remains tied with the Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii and Special Olympics Hawaii, among other groups.
“Football has provided such an incredible platform, but it’s Motiv8 (that) lasts way beyond that,” he said.
A Washington Commanders helmet autographed by the team’s quarterbacks was put up for auction at Marcus Mariota’s golf funderaiser. (Spectrum News/Brian McInnis)
Brian McInnis covers the state’s sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.