Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Adam Thielen

Friday, March 27, 11:07 AM

Across 11 games (eight starts) in 2025, Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota completed 65.2% of his pass attempts for 1,695 yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The 32-year-old also remained a productive player with his legs, rushing for 297 yards and a touchdown on 50 attempts. Mariota was forced into more playing time than Washington would have liked in 2025, as star quarterback Jayden Daniels played in just seven games due to knee, hamstring, and elbow injuries. Still, Mariota profiles as one of the better backup quarterback options in the NFL, and the Commanders re-signed him to a one-year deal for the 2026 season in early March. When Mariota gets a chance to play, his dual-threat ability makes him a quality streaming option for fantasy managers, especially in two-quarterback formats. Given Daniels' durability question marks, Mariota should at least be on the radar of deep-league managers entering 2026.