Raiders Not Marcus Mariota's Only Focus Heading Into Season

Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota was the subject of trade rumors this offseason given the pricey salary he was scheduled for in 2021. He and the team finally settled on a reworked deal to bring him back for the upcoming year, but a trade still isn't out of the question.

The possibility of a move is certainly weighing on his mind entering the preseason.

Marcus Mariota Trade Rumors

Mariota is busy with training camp prep in Las Vegas, but he admitted that he's monitoring situations around the league as well. An injury or poor performance from an incumbent could be all Mariota needs to have a chance to be a starter somewhere else.

"It is my goal (to be a starter), so I do keep tabs on what's going on. For us as players, it's kind of important to see what the landscape is. That being said, I enjoy this team. It's a great organization to play for."

- Marcus Mariota

Mariota's honesty is refreshing. The Raiders know he wasn't a long-term plan at backup behind Derek Carr, and his comments on wanting to be a starter at least help brace fans for a possible move later the year.

The former No. 2 overall pick went 29-32 as a starter for the Tennessee Titans over his first five NFL seasons before landing in Las Vegas. Mariota raised eyebrows around the league filling in for Carr in Week 15 last season, throwing for 226 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT while adding another 88 yards and a score on the ground.

The 27-year-old's dual-threat abilities have teams around the league interested. All it takes is one starting situation to unravel for Mariota to have a chance at being a full-time starter again.

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Isaiah De Los Santos is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Isaiah De Los Santos also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zayyy05328. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.