Raiders QB Marcus Mariota Generating “Legitimate” Trade Interest

Ian Rapoport reports that Raiders backup QB Marcus Mariota is generating “legitimate and real” trade interest in recent weeks.

Rapoport explains that Mariota’s late-season performance in relief of Derek Carr caught some team’s eye and could be viewed as a similar buy-low player at the quarterback position as Ryan Tannehill was for the Titans a few years ago.

It is interesting that teams may be making this comparison, considering that Tannehill ultimately took Mariota’s job. However, Mariota could be seen as a more reasonably priced quarterback for teams in the market such as the Patriots.

Carr’s name has also come up in trade rumors as of late, but Rapoport doesn’t get the sense that the Raiders are seriously considering the possibility of moving on from him.

Mariota, 27, is a former No. 2 overall pick of the Titans back in 2015.  He signed a four-year, $24.214 million rookie contract that’s fully guaranteed.

The Titans picked up Mariota’s fifth-year option worth $20.922 million for the 2019 season. They declined to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent after he lost the starting job, though, and he ultimately agreed to a two-year contract with the Raiders worth $17.6 million. 

In 2020, Mariota appeared in one game for the Raiders and completed 17 of 28 passing attempts (60.7 percent) for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed nine times for 88 yards and a touchdown. 

We’ll have more on the Raiders quarterback situation as the news is available.