Is Oregon Ducks QB, NFL Journeyman Marcus Mariota Nearing the End of his Playing Career?

Oregon Ducks Football legend and the second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Marcus Mariota has been in the pros for almost a decade. Is retirement coming soon for the Pro Duck?

Jun 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jeff Driskel (16), Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (0), and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) prepare to pass a ball during OTA workouts at Commanders Park. / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Donning the burgundy and gold, photos of former Oregon Football quarterback Marcus Mariota working out during the Washington Commander’s fall camp raise excitement and looming questions from Duck fans.

Will Mariota remain injury-free during his one year contract? Will he improve on the amount of interceptions he threw with the Atlanta Falcons? How much will Mariota see the field if he’s indeed the back-up for LSU Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels? Will the Commanders re-sign Mariota if he puts up good numbers? Is Mariota being pigeon-holed into a back-up only role?

A recent article from Pro Football Focus posits that maybe the former Oregon great is heading towards the end of his NFL career. In an article listing the top ten NFL athletes nearing the end of their careers, Mariota is listed as the seventh slot.

Other athletes on this list included guard Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys, unsigned wide receiver Julio Jones, unsigned tight end Jimmy Graham, edge for the Miami Dolphins Calais Campbell, unsigned running back Dalvin Cook, unsigned corner Patrick Peterson, Houston Texans’ edge Jerry Hughes, Texans’ receiver Robert Woods, and Commanders’ tight end Zach Ertz.

PFF highlights Mariota’s trending back-up position roles after being benched during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans. Mariota’s Commanders’ contract is potentially his third back-up delineation. After the Titans, Mariota backed up Derek Carr on the Las Vegas Raiders for two years, and following his brief stint with the Atlanta Falcons, backed up Jalen Hurts for a year on the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Even though he’s still only 30, Mariota seems to have been relegated to journeyman backup status,” the PFF article said.

Aug 21, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Derek Carr (4) and Marcus Mariota (8) watch the action from the sideline during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

However, Mariota’s short journey with the Falcons did show some glimmers of a continued spark for a starting gig. He received NFC Offensive Player of the Week recognition after a dominating performance against the San Francisco 49ers. He threw for 2219 yards with an 88.2 rating, which is very close to his pretty good average of 89.2, but had 9 interceptions.

Mariota’s season with the Falcons didn’t originally end with him electing for a season ending knee injury. According to Mariota in the Netflix series “Quarterback”, Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith brought Mariota into his office to express that the play-offs seemed like a long shot for the team, and with four games left they wanted to see what rookie Desmond Ridder could do in the quarterback slot. Mariota had also just welcomed his daughter into the world, so his priorities were understandably not entirely on football.

Ultimately, Mariota’s decision to get his knee fixed led to him leaving the Falcons and then getting picked up by the Eagles for the 2023 season before signing with the Commanders for the 2024 season.

There is some thought to be had over Mariota becoming a reliable back-up option. If the Commanders think Jayden Daniels needs more time, Mariota can be counted on to not produce a losing record. He’s known for his leadership quality, and would be a great athlete to anchor a team while mentoring the next great rookie. 

Mariota makes sense as a reliable back-up, but his satisfaction with such a role, the potential of future injuries or re-aggravating injuries, and performance this year will make his future clearer.

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