On Monday night, the Las Vegas Raiders and Marcus Mariota reportedly agreed to terms on a contract, ending his tenure with the Tennessee Titans.
While Mariota certainly had his fair share of struggles in Nashville, there is reason to hope that things can get better with the Raiders in Las Vegas.
Let’s break down why this was the right move for both sides.
What happened in Tennessee?
There are several answers to this question.
On top of dealing with injuries and not having a lot of talent around him for much of his career, the Titans also saw a revolving door at head coach and offensive coordinator during his five-year tenure. That’s a difficult thing to overcome for any young quarterback.
It really wasn’t until 2019 that Mariota had his best supporting cast, and even then his offensive line performed as one of the worst in the NFL in the six games he started.
It also didn’t help that Mariota held on to the ball for too long and missed some easy throws, which only exacerbated his problems before getting benched.
Overall, Mariota just looked like he had lost his confidence and simply wasn’t the same signal-caller we saw in his first few seasons in the NFL. We’ll see if a change of scenery helps to change that.
Next: Will Marcus Mariota start?
Will Mariota start?
One of the biggest things Mariota was looking for in his next destination was a chance to start, and the Raiders could give him that opportunity.
The organization seems to be down on Derek Carr, and as a result he’s vulnerable to losing his starting job at some point.
Let’s also not forget that Raiders general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden were both big fans of Mariota coming out of college, so this isn’t a move that happened by accident.
This is a similar situation to the one Ryan Tannehill walked into when the Titans traded for him last season, and Mariota could unseat Carr like Tannehill unseated Mariota.
Next: Are Mariota and Raiders a good match?
Are Mariota and Raiders a good match?
Mariota is a great match with the Raiders for a few reasons.
First off, Mariota could really thrive in Gruden’s West Coast offense, which is a better system for the Oregon product’s skill set than anything he ran in Tennessee.
And if anyone can handle all of the distractions a city like Las Vegas can present, it’s the normally reserved Mariota. He’ll also be closer to his home state of Hawaii and alma mater, the University of Oregon.
Gruden has a history of reviving the career of a quarterback (see: Rich Gannon), which is something Mariota will be looking to do in Las Vegas.
Last but not least, Mariota gives the Raiders the insurance policy they’re looking for, and Las Vegas gives the former No. 2 overall pick at least the chance to start that he’s looking for.
