Possible landing spots for Marcus Mariota

Several teams could show interest in Raiders’ backup QB

Earlier Tuesday, we looked into a report that stated the New England Patriots have interest in trading for Las Vegas Raiders’ backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.

There will likely be a lot of teams interested in trading for Mariota — a former starter of the Tennessee Titans who played well in his one game with Raiders in 2020 — because he may be a relatively cheap option in terms of salary (he’s due $10.7 million in 2021) and trade compensation.

With several teams in need at the position, let’s look at possible fits for the former Heisman Trophy winner:

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Carolina Panthers:
The Panthers have a top-10 draft pick and may lean toward taking a quarterback in the draft rather than go for a veteran like Mariota (unless it’s Deshaun Watson), but they will be in the market for a quarterback in some form.

Chicago Bears:
The Bears are expected to be in the Carson Wentz market. But if that deal can’t be made, Mariota may be a decent backup. And we know the Raiders and Bears know how to make a trade together.

Dallas Cowboys:
The Cowboys will have to scramble if they think Dak Prescott is going elsewhere. Like the Bears, adding Mariota is a deep backup plan here.

Houston Texans:
This is a similar situation. If the Texans don’t think they can solve their Watson problem, a deal for Mariota might be a short-term fix in Houston,

Indianapolis Colts:
If the Colts don’t land Wentz, they could turn to Mariota. They know him well from his days in the AFC South. This may be a spot to keep an eye on.

New England Patriots:
We already know the Patriots are interested, but will they make a big play for Mariota. They tried to fix their Tom Brady mistake with Cam Newton and it didn’t work. Mariota is the same type of veteran trying to salvage his starting career as Newton was last year. The Patriots may need to make a bigger, more impactful quarterback addition if possible.

Washington Football Team:
This might be a team to watch. Washington might be a good spot for Mariota since it may not be able to draft a top prospect.

Conclusion:
There are a lot of possibilities here and that’s great for the Raiders. The more interest, the better trade compensation Las Vegas can get for Mariota.