The Green Bay Packers have made it clear they’re out on Aaron Rodgers, though big decisions at the quarterback position won’t end once he is traded.
The Packers are on the cusp of becoming Jordan Love’s team but his exceedingly limited sample size of minutes in meaningful games poses at least as many questions as it does answers about exactly what Green Bay has under center with the first-year starter entering the fourth season of his NFL career. A steady and proven backup is a critical piece the Packers must add this offseason and a handful of suitable options exist.
Among the best and most experienced of those options is Marcus Mariota, who has a close history with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
“When Packers coach Matt LaFleur was offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans in 2018, Mariota went 7-6 as the starter and ranked among the NFL leaders with a 68.9 percent completion rate,” Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated wrote on March 8. “A bust as the second pick of the 2015 draft? Sure, but he’s got about 2,100 passing attempts of experience to draw upon.”
Mariota’s Experience, Dual-Threat Quality Make Him Fit With Packers
GettyQuarterback Marcus Mariota, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, participates in warmups prior to a game against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on November 27, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Falcons released Mariota on February 28 after a one-year experiment in which he started 13 games for the franchise. Mariota has started a total of 74 games in his professional tenure and has produced a regular season win/loss record of 34-40.
Before his time in Atlanta, Mariota spent two seasons backing up Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders. He played five years in Tennessee to begin his career. Mariota has completed 62.6 percent of his passes, throwing for a total of 15,656 yards, 94 touchdowns and 52 interceptions, per Pro Football Reference.
He has also proven a competent rusher of the football, amassing 2,012 yards and 17 touchdowns on 349 career attempts. Mariota produced his most prolific season on the ground in 2022, posting career highs in carries (85) and yards (438), while also scoring four times.
Despite nearly …read more
Source:: Heavy.com