Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota played in his 106th career NFL game on Sunday, making his 83rd start, as he led his team to a surprising 33-31 upset winover the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
In his 12th NFL season and third in Washington, Mariota completed 19 of 31 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns against Seattle. He did not turn the ball over. Toward the end of Sunday’s win, he showed some vintage Mariota on a third-and-7 zone read, keeping the ball and running for nine yards to seal the win for the Commanders.
Northwest Stadium exhaled. Players and coaches celebrated. After the game, Mariota called it “unbelievable.”
A few days later, Mariota earned NFL honors for his performance in Sunday’s win, as
he was named the Week 3 FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week, alongside San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
It’s the third time in his NFL career that Mariota has won the FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Week honor.
.@Commanders QB Marcus Mariota & @49ers QB @brockpurdy13 have been voted the @FedEx Air & Ground @NFL Players of the Week for Week 3: https://t.co/iPHPsv40TX #airandground
— NFL345 (@NFL345) September 30, 2026
Mariota made his first start of the season in place of the injured Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his elbow in the Week 2 loss at Dallas. It’s rare for a backup quarterback to win this award, but Mariota was phenomenal in leading his team, with a patchwork offensive line, to an upset win over the Seahawks and their top-ranked defense.
Daniels will return soon, but it looks like Mariota will make his second start on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts in London.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders QB Marcus Mariota honored for performance in win over Seahawks
