Marcus Mariota agreed to a pay cut to continue as a backup quarterback for a second season with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Mariota was expected to earn $ 10.5 million in the second year of his contract with the team, after earning $ 7.5 million last year. The Raiders weren’t willing to pay as much for Mariota to be Derek Carr’s backup, and they struck a cheaper deal.
NFL Network reported that Mariota will receive $ 3.5 million this season, with the opportunity to increase that compensation to $ 8 million through a series of incentives.
“At the end of the day, we are blessed to make a living playing games,” Mariota told KHO-TV from Hawaii, where she resides. “Many of us earn a good amount of money. As for me, I just love to play. The excitement and opportunity to be a Raider just surpasses everything else. “
Mariota, 27, was Tennessee’s second pick in the 2015 draft, but lost the starting job to Ryan Tannehill midway through the 2019 season.
He signed with the Raiders during the offseason before last season, but ended up playing only one game. In practice camp, he was stopped by a chest injury.
He returned to the active roster in October, intervening only in Week 15’s game against the Chargers after Carr left with a groin injury in the first quarter.
He had a good performance as a substitute, completing 17 of 28 shipments for 226 yards, a touchdown and an intercepted pass. He also had nine carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, but the Raiders lost the game 30-27 in overtime.
Carr returned the following week and played the last two games of the season. Now, Mariota is back as a backup and Nathan Peterman would be the third quarterback.
Mariota created high expectations with four touchdown passes when he made his NFL debut in 2015. But he never became the star the Titans hoped for when they drafted him.
He lost his job only six weeks into the 2019 season. He completed 59.4% of his passes that season, with 77 touchdowns, 45 interceptions and a rating of 89.5.
He has also rushed for 1,487 yards and 12 touchdowns.
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