Denver Broncos risky FA QB option #2: Marcus Mariota, Raiders
With Josh McDaniels coming to the Las Vegas Raiders, it seems likely there could be a reset at the QB position in Sin City.
Not only do I think Derek Carr could be traded (again, not to Denver because in-division QB trades are rare and unwise), but Marcus Mariota could be on his way out.
The ultimate irony here is that teams might be hoping that Mariota can be the next Ryan Tannehill.
Remember when Tannehill took Mariota’s job, by the way? It was in the middle of a shutout win by the Denver Broncos in the 2019 season that Mike Vrabel pulled the plug on Mariota and the Titans have been legit contenders ever since.
Mariota has had a couple of years to rehab his value with the Raiders, and he’s shown some nice things in the limited opportunities he’s been given.
With his outstanding speed and arm talent, all may not be lost for Marcus Mariota.
At his best back in the 2016 season, the former second overall pick out of Oregon had 26 passing touchdowns and just nine interceptions along with three rushing touchdowns.
He wasn’t able to match that production after that point, but he is still just 28 years old and could thrive in a situation like the one in Denver.
At the very least, you can’t help but think that Mariota is a more intriguing dart throw than some of the other QBs that have rolled through Denver in recent years.