Marcus Mariota said the most honest thing about the 2025 Washington Commanders after Sunday’s 44-22 loss to the Detroit Lions.

“I don’t think we are who we think we are,” Mariota said.

The loss to Detroit dropped the Commanders to 3-7. It was their fifth consecutive loss, and fourth straight loss by 20 or more points. Washington entered the season with huge expectations, coming off a 12-win season and an appearance in the NFC Championship game. However, injuries and historically bad defensive play have derailed a once-promising season. After an impressive 27-10 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 5, Washington has looked like a completely different team.

So, what was Mariota actually saying? While it would appear that he’s saying the Commanders think they’re better than they are, it was more about the lack of identity. Here’s more context from the veteran quarterback.

“I don’t feel we’re close,” Mariota said. “And at the same time, though, day in and day out, I see guys coming in, giving it their all. So I do feel like we have the motivation, the determination to get this right. But we’re running out of games, and we’re running out of time.”

Again, he’s correct. Washington is much closer to acquiring the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft than it is to competing for a playoff spot. After losing to Kansas City in Week 8 to fall to 3-5, there was optimism among the team that the Commanders could pick up a big win over the Seahawks or Lions, to get back closer to .500 and make a late-season run.

You can appreciate coaches and players feeling that way and not giving up, but they were lying to themselves. The inept performance vs. Seattle in Week 9 should have told them everything. They were never competitive in losses to the Seahawks and Lions.

Mariota is a respected leader. His words carry weight. So, what did head coach Dan Quinn think of what his veteran quarterback said?

“I think that’s a fair question after a difficult game, and we’ve gotta dig in, man,” Quinn said. “Like I said, we gotta put everything we can into this game and where we’re at. There’s the bye after that, but I’m not looking too far down the line. How much better can we get this week? Man, that’s it. It’s cool to have everybody going together, that’s a big deal for us to have everybody together, go get our processes right, get our alignment of our football like we want to do it. It’s going to be an awesome environment, but as far as big picture stuff, I’m pretty locked in on the present one now. I’ll have a little more space to do that during the bye. There’s not a player that I respect more than Marcus, so his insights are usually spot on, and you’d have to ask him, but we’re not hitting the mark. It’s fair to say that, that we’re not hitting, doing the things we need to do to be who we want to be.”

Quinn said a lot to say nothing. He finally acknowledged Mariota’s comments, saying he respects him. Quinn seemed uncomfortable.

NFL players and coaches are competitive. You never want them rolling over. But sometimes, you have to be honest with yourself. If you aren’t going to do it, then it’s nice to have a respected veteran player say what everyone needs to hear. The Commanders are 3-7 and going nowhere fast. As injuries continue to mount, it’s time to start looking ahead. No, that doesn’t mean admitting defeat and tanking.

However, it does mean that younger players should take over for underperforming veterans. Washington has over 20 free agents in 2026. That means over half the roster will turn over again. GM Adam Peters has his hands full. He needs to see what players should be around in 2026 and beyond.

Mariota didn’t intend for his words to grab anyone’s attention. He was refreshingly honest. Washington’s leadership needed to hear that this team isn’t what it thought it was.