It's been a decade since the Tennessee Titans selected Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL Draft.
While things didn't work out for Mariota in Nashville long-term, he has become one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL over the past five years.
Since leaving the Titans, Mariota has played for the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, but now, The Athletic writer Mike Jones teases a potential return to where it all started in Tennessee.
"Let’s face it: Will Levis is not the answer. And because they own the top pick in the draft, the Titans can fill their need for a franchise quarterback," Jones writes.
"But whether it’s Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, the rookie of choice could take some time to develop. The smart move: Bring back former face of the franchise Marcus Mariota (2015-19) to serve as the bridge or as a valuable veteran mentor (similar to what he did last season with Jayden Daniels) to help a young QB navigate the pro game."
Adding Mariota keeps things fluid with the Titans. They wouldn't be forced to take a quarterback in this scenario. There's a world where the Titans ride with Mariota and have him compete with Will Levis to determine who the starting quarterback should be. They could also take someone like Cam Ward and have him learn behind Mariota, a position that Daniels thrived in last season with the Commanders.
The Titans don't want to show too many cards, and by bringing Mariota into the fold, Tennessee can keep its plans hush-hush for a little while longer and keep all of its options open.
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI.
PFF Reveals 'Perfect' QB for Titans to Sign in Free Agency
The Tennessee Titans aren't going to go into next season with just Will Levis on the roster at quarterback. They should be aggressive in addressing the position in either free agency or the draft.
The team has been linked to several quarterbacks including rookies like Cam Ward or veterans like Aaron Rodgers or Sam Darnold. One player who hasn't been linked to the Titans as much is Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson.
He's set to hit free agency and should be one of the cheaper veteran options who can be a starter. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus named a "perfect" free agent signing for each team and believes that Wilson to Tennessee makes a ton of sense.
"The lone constant in Tennessee’s current receiver room is Calvin Ridley, whose top two routes by percentage were gos and outs," Locker wrote. "That lines up with Wilson, who threw each at least 17.4% of the time during his one season with the Steelers. Considering that Ridley’s 97.6 PFF deep receiving grade placed 25th among receivers — and that Wilson’s 97.3 PFF deep passing grade led qualified quarterbacks — there could be a strong downfield connection between the two.
"Head coach Brian Callahan has touted accuracy and decision-making as his desired traits in a quarterback, and even at 36, Wilson offers both. The former Super Bowl champ could be a perfect bridge quarterback for the team as it upgrades other weaknesses."
Wilson isn't a massive upgrade at quarterback and would be a stopgap option but Callahan needs to get something going and the 10-time Pro Bowler may be good enough to help him keep his job for another season.
