Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy at Oregon, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft and has started 61 games as a pro at just 26 years old.
But he enters his tenure with the Raiders as the clear backup to quarterback Derek Carr. It’s fair to wonder how he’ll react to that reality, especially given that Mariota lost his own starting job with the Titans last season to his former backup, Ryan Tannehill.
Also to be considered is Mariota’s contract with Las Vegas, which could balloon up to $37.5 million over two seasons if he starts and wins for his new team.
Mariota was clear that the Raiders are Carr’s squad, however. The QB sounded like a team player in his interview with Rob DeMello of KHON News, saying he’s there to make Carr’s job easier by helping to provide a strong, supportive QB room.
“First and foremost, this is Derek’s team. I understand that going in,” Mariota said. “My priorities going into free agency was to be a part of a team that I felt could bring out the best in me. Whatever comes of that, I’m ready for it.
“But I do know that to play starting quarterback in the NFL, to be at that spot, is not an easy job to do. When it comes down to it, a strong, stable, supportive quarterback room makes that job a whole lot easier, and that’s what we have to do. I’m [gonna] do my best to support Derek in every possible way that I can and along with that I’m going to try to become the best player I can be and see where that takes me.”
‘It’s been almost ten years since I played at home, this is as close as it gets’, #Hawaii’s Marcus Mariota ‘excited’ to sign with #LasVegas #Raiders https://t.co/O7B6TkeMAt @StLouisHawaii #NFLHawaii #9thIsland // https://t.co/9oZimTtTXJ 🤙🏽 pic.twitter.com/xBHLaAUMFy
— Rob DeMello (@RobDeMelloKHON) March 25, 2020
While Mariota was blunt in his assessment of the depth chart at quarterback, it’s also clear from his comments that he’s a competitor and wants to bring his promising career to fruition.
That will be the aim of coach Jon Gruden and his staff, as well, adding to the strength of the Raiders’ QB room at the very least. And as Mariota says, we’ll see where the process takes him.