The Commanders bringing in an experienced veteran backup quarterback such as Mariota on Tuesday may be foreshadowing their plans for the NFL draft and signaling the direction they’re headed for the future of the position.

Washington agreed with Mariota on a one-year contract with a base salary of $6 million that could be worth up to $10 million, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract cannot be made official until the new league year opens Wednesday.

Mariota, 30, has appeared in 90 NFL games and started 74 for four teams since being taken with the second pick in the 2015 draft, most recently serving as Jalen Hurts’ backup in Philadelphia last season.

Adding the 30-year-old Oregon product increases the likelihood of Washington using the No. 2 pick this year on a QB. Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU, and North Carolina’s Maye are among the prospects expected to be available if Chicago takes Southern California’s Caleb Williams first.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility for the Commanders to draft a QB and keep 2023 starter Sam Howell, along with Mariota.

“Obviously I have no idea what the decision is going to be,” said veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who signed his one-year contract with Washington on Tuesday. “Building a team is a 365-day-a-year job, so whatever they do today may not be the final verdict come Sept. 10 or whenever the first game is.”