With the conference championship games taking place Sunday, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota will be watching from the sidelines in what is likely one of the final games he plays with the team that drafted him.
The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft was benched halfway through the season in favor of Ryan Tannehill, who has helped propel the Titans to the AFC Championship game. As Tannehill likely gets another contract this offseason, Mariota is likely on his way out.
The Indianapolis Colts are in the market for a quarterback this offseason. Could they be a landing spot for Mariota?
While Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton believes that could be the case, it is highly unlikely the two sides join this offseason.
Even if the Colts wanted to add some competition for Brissett in the quarterback room, Mariota shouldn’t be the near top choice. There are plenty of better options in free agency and the upcoming draft that would suffice over Mariota.
The Colts have gotten a good look at the Oregon product since he entered the NFL. While he’s still young at the age of 26 and there is some promise given his athleticism, Mariota struggles mightily in some of the bigger aspects of quarterbacking.
While he may be efficient in the red zone, Mariota struggles with anticipation and timing on his throws. He has rarely shown the ability to push the ball downfield to squeeze a throw into a tight window. Mariota also struggles with keeping his eyes downfield.
When evading a pass rush, Mariota often lets his eyes drop rather than feeling the rush and evading while keeping his eyes downfield. There are also questions about his deep accuracy.
The Colts had their own issues in 2019 under center. Jacoby Brissett disappointing in a big way while replacing the retired Andrew Luck. Brissett exhibited similar struggles in anticipatory throws and pushing the ball downfield.
The Colts don’t need to bring in another quarterback that would be a lateral move if they needed to switch things up.
There are a lot of questions as to whether the Colts will even address the quarterback position. But if they do, adding Mariota wouldn’t be pushing the needle.