While he is leaving the Eagles, Marcus Mariota will remain in the division.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the backup quarterback for the Eagles in 2023 will sign a one-year contract with the Washington Commanders.
Mariota, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract with the Eagles in 2023, will receive a wage increase. In 2024, the former No. 2 overall selection will begin his tenth NFL season.
The Eagles have a costly insurance policy in Mariota, 30, that they were able to avoid using last season. Mariota seldom saw the field as starting quarterback Jalen Hurts started all 17 regular season games and the postseason game.
He only played 44 snaps in three games, but he did see action.
In 2023, Mariota completed 15 out of 23 throws for 164 yards, one touchdown, and one pick. Eight seasons after the Eagles were said to have traded up to get Mariota in 2015, the player eventually joined the squad as a reliable backup.
Seeing what the Eagles do with their backup quarterback position will be fascinating. Last season, they selected Stanford’s Tanner McKee in the sixth round of the draft. McKee was the backup quarterback in every game as a rookie, but he made an impression in training camp. Is there a possibility that in 2024 the Eagles will start him at number two?
McKee, a second-year NFL player selected in the sixth round, will start 2024 with a basic salary of $915,000 and a cap charge of just $961,630. If McKee is ready for that position and the Eagles can avoid paying for a high-profile backup like Mariota or Gardner Minshew from 2022, then having the potential of a sixth-round pick serving as the backup for three seasons is quite alluring.
But a player like Easton Stick may make sense if the Eagles decide to bring in a veteran to challenge McKee for the backup position. Stick, 28, has had just sporadic appearances in the NFL since being selected in the fifth round in 2019.
.. However, he did have an opportunity to start four games with the Chargers last season under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore of the Eagles. Hence, he may be able to push McKee because he is familiar with the OC in Philadelphia.
In the meanwhile, Mariota will join a Commanders squad that will draft second overall with the No. 2 selection. It is anticipated that a quarterback will be selected in the first round by the Commanders. However, Mariota is expected to compete with current incumbent Sam Howell for a position in 2024. In the event that Mariota isn’t prepared to start in Week 1, he may be used as a stopgap.
