Free agents come and go for a multitude of reasons and when teams like the Washington Commanders finish with low marks like they did in the season and in the NFLPA survey it can paint a picture that players won't want to come to an organization like this one.
For new quarterback Marcus Mariota, however, people can say what they want about the Commanders' building, the showers, and the flight accommodations because for him it was all about playing for the right coaching staff.
"It really came down to I want to be part of an incredible coaching staff," Mariota said when asked why he chose Washington. "(Coach Dan Quinn) has had such a great reputation across the league and for me to be a part of this and to meet with them today, I can just feel the vibe in the facility and I'm excited to get to work."
That vibe Mariota discusses is being felt by him and others in the building, and also by the fans who are hoping this is finally the shift the Commanders needed to restore the glory days of football in the DMV.
However, Mariota also knows the shift that helped bring him here might also relegate him to a backup role, one he filled with the Philadelphia Eagles and new Commanders assistant head coach Brian Johnson last year.
It's a role that no player truly wants, but one Mariota is willing to accept because of his connection with the coach he followed to Washington.
"I think very highly of Brian. And I think everything that happened over the course of the last season, how he handled it is a testament to his character," Mariota said. And I just want to surround myself with good people. I think ultimately in the end, you'll find ways to win games when you've got a lot of good people in the building and it seems like that's kind of going on here and I'm just appreciative of the fact that I get to be a part of it."
Some coaches think they're in the business of football games. Others take it as being in the business of people, and bringing them together to achieve a shared goal.
This staff appears to be of the latter mindset, and Mariota feels in sync with that approach.
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