Could Marcus Mariota be the answer for San Francisco 49ers’ QB quandary in 2022?
Over the past couple of years, when you think about Oregon Ducks in the NFL, it’s Justin Herbert who immediately comes to mind.
However, one of Oregon’s most beloved sons in the professional football league is still struggling to find a home, and he could be on the move this offseason with his contract expiring. Marcus Mariota has been the backup QB for the Las Vegas Raiders in recent years after leading the Tennessee Titans to the playoffs in 2017 and 2019. He’s widely thought of as one of the best backups in the NFL, and someone who deserves another chance to be a starting QB.
He may get that opportunity this next year.
As the quarterback carousel churns in the NFL over the next couple of months, we will certainly see some guys pick up and move to new cities to fill holes. One of the teams who could be looking for a veteran guy to come in and help shore up the offense is the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted rookie Trey Lance a year ago but made a deep run with Jimmy Garoppolo this past year.
The general feeling is that Garoppolo might not be sticking around in San Francisco, so Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers may be in the market for another veteran player to offer some stability should Lance need another year to adjust to the NFL before being named the starter.
Enter Mariota?
“[Marcus Mariota] would give the #49ers flexibility, with the new QB either supporting Lance in as a backup or starting if Lance needs more developmental time…He would thrive off Shanahan's designed runs while providing experience [to help Lance's development.]” – @JFowlerESPN pic.twitter.com/zh3bbDfJmE
— Sterling Bennett (@49ers_Access) February 22, 2022
In this scenario, Mariota would be playing the role of Alex Smith 2.0, finding a new team with which to play for while they groom his eventual successor. It’s unfortunate that the former Heisman-winning QB’s career has come to this, but it would give him a chance to play and potentially prove that he deserves a spot as one of the 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL.
As the offseason really gets going, we will undoubtedly hear a lot more news on the 49ers’ QB front, and it won’t be surprising to see Mariota’s name get involved. If he does end up in the Bay area, it could be exactly what his career needs to get back on track.
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