Marcus Mariota, Raiders
After being replaced and easily outplayed by Ryan Tannehill in 2019, I thought Marcus Mariota’s time as a starter in the NFL was over. He simply didn’t use his legs to make plays like you would expect, and he was far too conservative as a passer during his time in Tennesee. His decision to sign with the Raiders to be David Carr’s backup in 2020 did nothing to change that.
But when Carr came up limping against the Chargers in week 15, Mariota was forced into action and didn’t disappoint. He was decisive, accurate, and even used his legs about as effectively as I have seen him do since being drafted. He looked like a completely different QB than the one the Titans gave up on, and I think despite a small sample size he can repeat that style of play elsewhere.
If he can play with that level of aggression and make things happen with his legs, his days as a starter may not be over. He may even be in high demand for any team without an established starter going into the 2022 season. Pittsburgh would be smart to consider him.