Oregon Ducks Set To Make Rare NFL Accomplishment With Marcus Mariota News

Marcus Mariota prepares to start for the Washington Commanders in week 8. He's set to join Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Justin Herbert as the fourth former Oregon Duck quarterbacks to start in the same NFL week.

Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) walks off the field after the game against Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The NFL is set to start four former Oregon Ducks quarterbacks in week 8 – a feat that only a few other college football programs have achieved.

The hamstring strain to Washington Commanders starter Jayden Daniels paved the way for Marcus Mariota to start for the third time this season. He’s set to join Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel and Justin Herbert as the starting Pro Ducks quarterbacks.

The Ducks Join Exclusive Club

Sep 21, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) walks off the field after the game against Las Vegas Raiders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Other examples of four quarterbacks from the same college starting in the same NFL week are the USC Trojans (2009), the Michigan State Spartans (2014) and the NC State Wolfpack (2017). There are also examples that involve four quarterbacks or more who started in the NFL the same week, but they didn’t all finish their college careers with the same program.

Mariota started the Commanders’ games against the Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons in the final two weeks of September. He joined Nix and Herbert as the three Ducks starters those two weeks, but Gabriel was still the Cleveland Browns’ backup at the time.

Gabriel earned his first NFL start versus the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 5 and has started every game since. Oregon has five games in 2025 with three former quarterbacks starting for their professional teams, but it’ll be the first time in program history that four start.

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How Former Oregon Quarterback Have Fared This Season

Oct 12, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) looks to pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Mariota’s played three games so far in his 11th NFL season. The former No. 2 overall pick has thrown for 426 yards and a pair of touchdown passes in 2025 and rushed for a touchdown.

The Ducks’ rookie quarterback, Gabriel, has thrown for 546 yards and three touchdowns without recording an interception in his first five NFL games. Gabriel enters the week coming off his first NFL win as a starter, when the Browns defeated the Miami Dolphins 31-6.

Meanwhile, Herbert is tied for sixth in the league in touchdown passes with 13. The Los Angeles Chargers quarterback is first in passing yards, with 1,913.

Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) celebrates after play during the second half against the New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Nix joins Gabriel as one of the current former Oregon quarterbacks in the NFL who were coached by Dan Lanning in college. Like Gabriel, Nix comes off a notable performance. He scored four total touchdowns, all in the fourth quarter, to complete a 33-32 comeback win over the New York Giants. The Denver Broncos quarterback has 11 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in 2025.

The four Pro Ducks are combined for an 11-8 winning record as starters this season. Oregon is developing into a top spot for quarterbacks in college football between its success at the professional level and ability to develop Heisman Trophy finalists.

Current Ducks quarterback Dante Moore remains in the top 10 in Heisman odds entering week 9. Many mock drafts predict Moore to be among the top quarterbacks selected in 2026 if he declares at the end of the season. Depending on his decision and how the rest of Oregon’s season pan out, the Ducks could potentially see a fifth quarterback make the league next season.