The Raiders made it a point to upgrade their backup quarterback spot this offseason. Last year, the team cycled through several backups, including Mike Glennon, Nathan Peterman and DeShone Kizer.
That is why the Raiders signed veteran Marcus Mariota to back up Derek Carr in the opening days of free agency. While there are a few in the media who believe Mariota could eventually replace Carr, it’s not even debatable that he is among the league’s top backups.
In a recent article by Skyler Carlin of NFL Analysis Network, he wrote about the top five backup quarterbacks entering the 2020 season. Not surprisingly, Mariota was mentioned, finishing at No. 4. Here is a snippet of Carlin’s thoughts on the Raiders’ new backup quarterback:
“Back in 2015, Mariota was the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. The Oregon product would show promise in his first two seasons, combining for 6,244 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. While he won’t have the starting job to begin with, Mariota could have a similar outcome as (Ryan) Tannehill a season ago if Carr fails to perform well in 2020.”
If Carr were to miss time or struggle for any reason, the Raiders can have confidence in Mariota due to his experience and athleticism. While he may never become an elite passer, he has shown enough in his NFL career that he can take his team to the playoffs and have success. For that reason, it is hard to argue against him being one of the top backups entering the 2020 season.
