People in sports fail for many reasons. Talent, injuries, size, lack of coaching, the list goes on and on. What we do know is that we can’t always sniff out a guy that stinks from the get go. Some play styles, particularly in the NFL, are not sustainable. It’s become very, very clear that Marcus Mariota is not a franchise quarterback. It’s time for the Titans to move on.
We are now four years into the Marcus Mariota experience. There is now zero evidence that points to the fact that you can be a title contender with him. 69 touchdowns and 42 touchdowns isn’t cutting it. Especially when you consider the fact that the past two years that ratio has been cut to 24 TD to 23 INT. The NFL has gotten film on him and Mariota isn’t nearly as effective throwing the football.
You can’t win in the NFL without a quarterback that can throw the ball. Mariota can’t throw the ball! He’s never thrown for more than 3,500 yards in a season. Mariota threw for just 2,528 yards in 2018. How do you expect to win like that?
You know what Mariota’s biggest flaw is besides the fact that he can’t play? Mariota is never healthy! Never! Not even if there is a fire. The former Oregon quarterback has never started a complete 16 game schedule. Mariota has now been injured for week 1, 2, 3, 11, 16, and 17. All different injuries. He’s a running quarterback, that can’t throw, and is constantly hurt. Where is the value?
Here’s the bad news. Now the Titans are left with his 5th year option that is going to pay Mariota more than $20 million per year. Tennessee couldn’t win while Mariota was on a rookie contract. Now they have to pay him. The Titans are totally screwed. Is there any chance I would pay Mariota more than $20 million per year? Hell no. Cut him, Trade him, whatever. It’s time to start over.
I hope this is a lesson learned for the people who were fooled by Mariota in the early stages. Running quarterbacks don’t succeed. For the record, I’ve never been a Mariota guy. I saw the stench coming from a mile away at Oregon. I ranked Shane Carden ahead of him during the draft process (Carden never got picked). Not to mention the fact that Mariota literally does not speak so I don’t know how he ever was supposed to thrive even if he did have talent. Don’t fall for Lamar Jackson. It’s only a matter of time before he becomes a spitting image of RG3, Colin Kaepernick, and now Marcus Mariota. The future of the Titans rest in the hands of Marcus Mariota and the franchise is totally screwed until they move in another direction.
