The upcoming 2019 season may be the most important in Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota’s career.
The signal-caller, who has been plagued by injuries of the past couple of seasons, must stay healthy and perform at a high level to prove himself to be the man of the future as he enters the fifth and final year of his rookie deal.
On Tuesday, Mariota made it clear he is not concerned about the criticism he’s been under, or those who have doubted him along the way.
“Other people’s opinions don’t matter to me,” he said.
Mariota also said he will not be changing his approach moving forward. He’s going to continue to put in the work this offseason and prepare the same way he’s done every year since being drafted second overall by the team in the 2015 NFL Draft.
”Let it ride,” he said. ”I mean no matter what still I get to come out here. I get to play a game that I love and I’m going to make the most of it.”
Mariota appears to have fully recovered from last season’s long list of injuries, making completions on short and long passes.
He’s made maintaining his health a top priority this offseason, gaining some extra weight to help his durability. If Mariota goes down, he knows a newly acquired Ryan Tannehill – who is in no way up for the starting gig right now – will assume his position.
”No matter what, I know he’ll be prepared if it comes to that and he’ll make the most of his opportunity.”
