Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is out for his team's Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders as he recovers from a knee sprain, so that means Washington will turn to its No. 2 option to run the offense Sunday. Fortunately for the Commanders, they prioritized identifying -- and retaining -- one of the NFL's top backups.

Washington signed former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota to a one-year deal ahead of the 2024 season and renewed his contract entering the 2025 campaign, paying him $8 million as an insurance option in the process. That investment has already paid off and may very well again soon as the veteran gets his first start in a Commanders uniform on Sunday afternoon.

Mariota played in three games off the bench last season. His most significant o

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