The upcoming Week 11 matchup between the Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders sounded more appealing in theory before the 2025 season began, but there's no shortage of juicy subplots entering Sunday's showdown.
Whereas Fins fans were hoping for better than a 3-7 record to this point, but shouldn't have had super high expectations, Washington kicked off the new year having just gotten within one win of a Super Bowl berth. Alas, the Commanders have had a season from h-e-double-hockey-sticks.
It's a bummer when any star quarterback is injured. Miami can relate as much as anyone, given Tua Tagovailoa's history. That goes for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, too, who's currently sidelined with a dislocated elbow.
...But could Daniels' stand-in actually go from Tagovailoa's Week 11 counterpart to his 2026 Week 1 successor?
Let's just say the man in question could make a strong impression if he continues his high level of play and shreds a Miami defense that has serious momentum after beating Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills 30-13 last week.
Washington Commanders QB Marcus Mariota is an ideal fit to replace Tua Tagovailoa as QB1 for the Miami Dolphins
Both these teams are at an interesting crossroads as they prep for their matchup in Madrid, Spain. Perhaps no two players have more to play for than Marcus Mariota and Tagovailoa.
Mariota is auditioning as a bridge starter, while Tagovailoa is trying to prove he's still a franchise quarterback the Dolphins can build around.
It's doubtful that Tagovailoa's contract would allow him to be traded by next year, even if the rest of this season goes off the rails. Nevertheless, there is a unique, shared history between the Hawaii natives that'd make for a neat quarterback room in Miami in 2026.
"I was a big fan of him, and I still am, just of the person he is outside of the player" - 9 years after winning the #Cover2 Mariota Award as Hawaii State Player of the Year, Tua Tagovailoa will share the field with his high school hero Marcus Mariota when the Dolphins and… pic.twitter.com/xK4PWbNFJ7
— Rob DeMello (@RobDeMelloKHON) November 13, 2025
Mariota wouldn't be an outright, immediate threat to Tagovailoa's job, but it wouldn't surprise me if he eventually replaced him.
I'm about to red-pill y'all with some Mariota propaganda that may change your perception of him.
Ready?
The more you think about Mariota's NFL career, the more it seems like he's never gotten a fair shake.
Starting his career off with the Tennessee Titans, under the dubious stewardship of owner Amy Adams Strunk, put Mariota behind the eight-ball before he took a snap in the pros.
In his five years with the Titans, Mariota had five different offensive coordinators. By his second season, he'd gutted out an 8-7 record as a starter.
In year three, he won a playoff game. When he was benched for Ryan Tannehill in 2019, it's not like that was some major indictment on him. Tannehill proceeded to play at a literal elite level for the next season and a half.
The last real shot Mariota got to start was with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, where he reunited with one of his ex-Tennessee play-callers, Arthur Smith. It didn't go very well, but that Falcons team was flawed.
They ranked 27th in total defense and had the second-fewest sacks in the league. No Bijan Robinson yet. Rookie-year Drake London wasn't near the player he is today, and there were no other wide receivers on the roster to speak of.
From there, Mariota had a quick stop with the Philadelphia Eagles before landing with the Commanders for last postseason's run to the NFC Championship.
Here are Mariota's raw numbers in Washington across nine games and four starts: a 10-to-4 TD-INT ratio, 68.8 percent completion rate, 7.9 yards per attempt, and a 103.2 passer rating. Oh, and a healthy 5.8 yards per carry and two TDs on 41 rushes.
No one should use PFF grades as the be-all, end-all for player evaluations. That said, Mariota's PFF passing grade ranks third heading into Week 11, behind only Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold.
Meanwhile, Tagovailoa currently ranks 21st in PFF passing grade, leads the NFL in interceptions, and does not bring a quarterback run element to Mike McDaniel's offense. Some more interesting metrics for your viewing pleasure:
Adjusted Quarterback Efficiency through Week 10, min 150 dropbacks @Unexpected_Pts pic.twitter.com/46MGgxKPjN
— Kevin Cole (@KevinCole___) November 12, 2025
Are you a Marcus Mariota truther yet, reader? Pretty sure I am at this point!
Between his Tua-esque quick release and superior size, mobility and arm strength, Mariota has the tools to flourish in McDaniel's system.
He would cost the Dolphins a fraction of the exorbitant contract Tagovailoa is on the books for, and is far and away better than the likes of Miami backups Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers.
The Dolphins could do far worse in free agency this offseason to address their quarterback situation.
Mariota was the No. 2 overall pick once upon a time after all. He has a similar sort of reserved demeanor like Tagovailoa, and McDaniel has elevated the current Miami passer's game to another stratosphere.
Imagine what a guru like McDaniel could do to light a spark under a supreme talent like Mariota, who's never quite put it all together.
Could Mariota pull a dramatic reversal of how his shot as the Titans' face of the franchise ended, supplanting Tagovailoa in 2026 and going on a Tannehill-esque run?
These eyes have seen Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, and Daniel Jones resurrect their careers in recent years. Mariota moving to Miami would hardly be a stunner in that context.