3 teams Marcus Mariota could start for in 2023 NFL free agency
2. Washington Commanders
Scouting Report. NFC East. . Washington Commanders. 2. 58. Pick Analysis. player
The Washington Commanders seem to be, for the time being, fully on board the Sam Howell train. I don’t blame them, to be honest. I was a big fan of Howell’s game at North Carolina, and while many of us thought he was a sure-fire first-round pick at one point, I was among those who felt the Commanders got a major steal when they landed him in round five.
As talented as Howell is, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that Marcus Mariota could beat him out for a starting job for new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. Bieniemy certainly has weapons in the passing game to distribute the ball to, and perhaps Mariota’s skill as a runner doesn’t fit best with the personnel the Commanders have in terms of wide receivers, but this seems like a match that could work.
The Commanders have a really interesting setup right now with Bieniemy calling the shots, tremendous skill players, and a top-10 defense. This seems like the ideal kind of situation for someone like Mariota to step into, especially if Howell is the only competition for a starting job.
Washington doesn’t appear to be in the market for the bigger-name quarterbacks at this point. They didn’t reach out to Derek Carr’s people, so they must not want to spend big at the position right now. If they sign Mariota to come in and compete with Sam Howell, I think that’s a scenario where Mariota could thrive.
Commanders fans might be more inclined to just let Howell play, but this is a team that went 8-8-1 last season. They made the playoffs the year before. Jobs could be on the line. You hired Eric Bieniemy in one of the biggest coaching moves of the offseason. I don’t think Sam Howell is just going to be handed the job.