According to reports, Marcus Mariota will sign with the Philadelphia Eagles to serve as Jalen Hurts’ backup. According to ESPN, the 29-year-old veteran accepted a one-year contract for $5 million, with the potential for incentives to raise the value to $8 million. Mariota’s move to Philadelphia is a dramatic departure from his tenure with the Tennessee Titans, when many looked on him to save the team.
Chip Kelly, who led the Ducks in Mariota’s freshman year before becoming the Eagles’ head coach and de facto general manager in 2015, was Mariota’s coach at Oregon at the time. Kelly allegedly offered the Titans a sizable trade package so they would move up to the No. 2 selection in the draught and choose Mariota. Tennessee rejected the offer, however, and went with Mariota.
Throughout his five years with the Titans, Mariota started 61 games and led his team to 29 victories. He threw 76 touchdown passes and 44 interceptions with a completion percentage of 62.9% for 13,207 yards throughout this period. Mariota then filled in as quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020 and 2021 before joining with Atlanta last spring. Prior to being benched in December 2022, he started the first 13 games for the Falcons and had a record of 5-8.
During the 2017 season, Mariota had a 61.3% completion percentage while tossing for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. Over his 87-game career, he had a 34-40 record as a starter with 15,656 yards, 92 touchdowns, and 54 interceptions to go along with a 62.6% completion percentage. Mariota will likely provide Hurts crucial backup assistance, but it is unclear what role he will play on the Eagles squad.
