Hogs Haven
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…
The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season and offseason, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.
CLICK HERE to see the full 5 o’clock club archive
One position group that is different from nearly every other on the Commanders roster is quarterback; it is the only position other than right guard at which the Commanders have the clear starter under contractual control through the 2028 season.
No one here needs a recitation of what Jayden Daniels achieved in his rookie season. The biggest question for the Commanders at quarterback is: Who will back up JD5?
Jayden Daniels won Offensive Rookie of the Year by a landslide. He will be the starting quarterback for the Commanders for years to come.
Marcus Mariota, the 32-year-old 10-year veteran and one-time 2nd overall pick in the 2015 draft, was Daniels’ backup. Mariota stepped in when Daniels was injured on the opening drive of the game in Week 7 and led Washington to a dominating 40-7 win over the Panthers. In Week 18, Mariota took over after halftime for a struggling Jayden Daniels and led a come-from-behind victory to secure the team’s 12th win of the season and lock up the #6 seed in the NFC playoffs. Ideally, the backup QB never has to take a snap, but if he does get on the field, then you want him to play like Mariota played in these two games.
Mariota may have done enough to earn a strong offer from another team to compete for a starting role, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him sign an extension with the Commanders in an effort to build on what the team accomplished in 2024.
Jeff Driskel was on the 2024 53-man roster all year, but was active for only one game, and took only one offensive snap (vs the Giants in Wk 2). Driskel is set to become a free agent on March 12th; I don’t see him as a priority re-signing, but he cost the Commanders less than $1m in cap space in 2024. I doubt the 32-yr-old QB will have any better offers if the Commanders want to bring him back.
Sam Hartman, an undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame and Wake Forest, spent the entire 2024 season on the Commanders’ practice squad. He and Jayden Daniels were reported to be good friends, which may weigh heavily in Hartman’s favor as Adam Peters and Dan Quinn contemplate which low-cost QB should fill the #3 role going forward. Hartman has already been signed to a future contract with Washington for 2025.
The NFL announced this week that the league-wide salary cap will end up between $277.5m and $281.5m, which was a bit more upside...
