Getty The Steelers might want to avoid replacing Ben Roethlisberger with Marcus Mariota.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should avoid signing this former top draft pick at quarterback, according to one analyst.
As the Steelers prepare for life after Ben Roethlisberger, the team should avoid looking into signing Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota, according to Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay.
Mariota is a former No. 2 overall draft pick and previously started for the Tennessee Titans across five seasons from 2015 until 2019.
“Neither Mason Rudolph nor Dwayne Haskins inspires much confidence as a long-term option under center, meaning the Steelers may decide to draft a signal-caller early in the 2022 draft or kick the tires on a veteran free agent,” says Kay. If the team decides to go the latter route—or finds itself seeking a bridge quarterback to start while the rookie gets up to speed—it should stay away from Marcus Mariota.
Mariota has been looking for a starting job ever since he left Tennessee after the 2019 season. He landed with the Raiders, serving as Derek Carr’s backup for the last two years.
The 28-year-old was a decent passer during his time with the Titans—completing 62.9% of his attempts for 13,207 yards and 76 touchdowns against 44 interceptions in 61 starts—but won just 29 of 63 games with the club.”
Mariota’s Injury History a Concern as Starter
Kay further points to Mariota’s injury history as another reason to avoid the 28-year-old quarterback. Mariota suffered a fractured fibula that required surgery towards the end of the 2016 season. Furthermore, he suffered a quad injury this season that landed him on injured reserve despite limited spot duty as a backup quarterback.
“His injury history is even more concerning, as Mariota missed plenty of time during his five seasons in Tennessee,” says Kay. “He even suffered a quad injury that landed him on IR this year despite playing just 24 total snaps, going down on a designed quarterback run he was called in off the bench to execute.
The Steelers have been a pillar of consistency, relying on few head coaches and quarterbacks throughout their history in a league where there is constant turnover at those positions.
Mariota would be nothing more than a short-term stopgap for the club, something it will want to avoid as it prepares to move into the post-Roethlisberger era.”
In four seasons as the full-time starter in Tennessee, Mariota led the Titans to just one playoff berth. He was eventually replaced by Ryan Tannehill, who has since led the Titans to an AFC Championship Game appearance and a No. 1 seed in the postseason.
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Steelers Lack Options After Big Ben
The Steelers are backed into a corner as they approach life in the post-Roethlisberger era.
Pittsburgh failed to draft a quarterback over the last few years despite clears signs of Roethlisberger’s decline and advanced age. The Steelers attempted to do this Mason Rudolph as a third-round draft choice back in 2018, but that experiment has failed on multiple occasions.
Rudolph was replaced as the starter towards the end of the 2019 season by undrafted free agent Devlin Hodges. Although he won the backup job over Dwayne Haskins in training camp, he failed to impress in two appearances in relief of Roethlisberger. He also led the Steelers to a tie with the previously winless Detroit Lions in Week 9.
The Steelers will very well likely draft a quarterback with their first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, it isn’t very likely that they enter the season with him as their starting quarterback.
As Pittsburgh looks for a veteran quarterback to replace Roethlisberger, the Steelers should probably avoid Mariota if they hope to contend for a playoff berth in 2022.