Hogs Haven
The Athletic (paywall)
For much of his time in the NFL, Mariota endured an overwhelming anxiety born from a chase for perfection and an identity carved around the game. Football was both a blessing and a burden, turning his career into a roller coaster that only began to slow when he became a Commander in 2024.
But this Sunday, when he makes his second consecutive start for Washington in place of Jayden Daniels, who is recovering from a knee sprain, Mariota will confront another uncomfortable stop from his past and try to find that same joy in a place that ended with very little: Atlanta.
Mariota credits the “culture” in Washington for restoring his love of football when, previously, the lights and packed crowd of an NFL stadium would often instill fear. Fear of failing. Fear of not meeting others’ expectations. Fear of getting benched. Fear of being controlled by his fears.
Washington coach Dan Quinn sold him on a promise that he would build an environment where players love to play, where Mariota would compete but ultimately be himself.
“When you’re a young guy, you really want to try to come in and be perfect. And that’s hard,” Mariota said. “I really think you have to come out here, you’re going to fail, you’re going to have mistakes, and what you have to be able to do is to learn from those things.”
In a way, Daniels’ natural love for the game and ability to find enjoyment in the pressure — “pressure is a privilege,” Daniels has said — has seemed to rub off on Mariota, too.
When his contract expired in March, he left the door open for a chance to start again. But he re-signed another one-year deal in Washington, where he would serve the same role. To leave Daniels and Washington’s supportive culture, it could only be for a place that “really knocks my socks off,” he said in March.
“Being around this group, being around these guys, I truly just enjoy football. I enjoy coming to work,” he said this week. “I think it’s really kind of been refreshing to me and it’s made this entire experience so much better.”
Heavy.com
Croskey-Merritt (knee) is in line to play Sunday in Atlanta, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Croskey was held out of all drills Wednesday and Thursday due to a knee injury, and despite his return to all activity Friday, the Commanders tagged him as questionable for Week 4 action. Assuming he avoids the inactive list about 90 minutes before Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, he’ll resume his backfield committee with Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez in the wake of Austin Ekeler’s season-ending torn Achilles from Week 2.
Riggo’s Rag
Marcus Mariota will step...
