What happened to Marcus Mariota? How former Falcons QB landed with Eagles after flame-out in Atlanta
When Marcus Mariota was signed by the Falcons ahead of the 2022 NFL season, it was presumed that it was his last chance to prove himself as a potential NFL starter.
After spending the 2021 season with the Raiders, Mariota was set to reunite with Arthur Smith — who coached him during his time with the Titans — and start for Atlanta.
At best, he could rekindle his once-promising career and help the Falcons make a run at the NFC South title. At worst, he would be a veteran stopgap from whom the team could move on with ease.
Mariota started most of the 2022 season but it turned out that he wasn’t cut out for the job. He ultimately was benched late in the season in favor of Desmond Ridder. He left the team after that and was later released.
It was an unceremonious year for Mariota with the Falcons; it’s also one that NFL fans will be able to witness and experience as part of the new Netflix series “Quarterback.” They will get a chance to see behind the curtain and get a look at the veteran quarterback’s struggles with his on-field performance and a knee injury that impacted him late in the campaign.
MORE: Everything to know about Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’ series
But what happened to Mariota after his turbulent 2022 season with the Falcons? Here’s what to know about the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and the team for which he will suit up in 2023.
What happened to Marcus Mariota?
After Mariota’s release from the Falcons, it was expected that he would get a chance to serve as a backup quarterback somewhere in the NFL. He found a perfect system fit with the Eagles.
Philadelphia inked Mariota to a one-year deal that will allow him to serve as the team’s top backup quarterback behind Jalen Hurts. He will replace Gardner Minshew in that role after Minshew followed Shane Steichen to the Colts as a free agent.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman expressed confidence that Mariota will fill that role well.
“When you look at Marcus, you’re talking about an elite athlete who has really good tools as a passer,” Roseman said in May, per the Philadelphia Inquirer. “Obviously we feel like — we’re hoping he doesn’t have to take the field other than mop-up duty. But I feel like he could run our offense if need be, if Jalen caught a cold or something, and he had to play.
“We’re excited about him. I’ve always had a lot of respect for him as a player and as a person. We think it’s a good fit, hopefully, for both sides.”
As Roseman mentioned, Mariota possesses great athleticism and mobility. That means that the Eagles won’t have to alter their offensive system much if Mariota needs to start over Hurts at any point during the 2023 season (Hurts missed two games due to injury in 2022).
Mariota may not have the same arm talent as Hurts does. However, he has largely been a solid albeit unspectacular starter in the NFL. That should allow him to keep Philadelphia in games if he is called upon to start. The one concern will be about keeping the oft-injured Mariota healthy if he does need to take the field.
Below is a look at where Mariota ranks on Philadelphia’s current quarterback depth chart:
Eagles QB depth chart
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Jalen Hurts |
| 2 | Marcus Mariota |
| 3 | Tanner McKee |
| 4 | Ian Book |
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Marcus Mariota stats
Mariota is coming off a season that saw him post decent numbers in 13 starts. He completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding 438 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
However, Mariota was an inefficient passer, as his passer rating of 88.2 ranked 21st in the NFL among 33 qualified quarterbacks. His QBR of 55.6 was better, as he ranked 13th among 33 qualified starters, but he still graded out as average overall at best.
Below is a full look at Mariota’s stats from 2022. Also included are the numbers he posted in his five seasons with the Titans and his two years as a backup with the Raiders.
| Year | Team | Record | Comp. % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | INTs | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
| 2015 | Titans | 3-9 | 62.2 | 2,818 | 19 | 10 | 252 | 2 |
| 2016 | Titans | 8-7 | 61.2 | 3,426 | 26 | 9 | 349 | 2 |
| 2017 | Titans | 9-6 | 62.0 | 3,232 | 13 | 15 | 312 | 5 |
| 2018 | Titans | 7-6 | 68.9 | 2,528 | 11 | 8 | 357 | 2 |
| 2019 | Titans | 2-4 | 59.4 | 1,203 | 7 | 2 | 129 | 0 |
| 2020 | Raiders | — | 60.7 | 226 | 1 | 1 | 88 | 1 |
| 2021 | Raiders | — | 50.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 87 | 1 |
| 2022 | Falcons | 5-8 | 61.3 | 2,219 | 15 | 9 | 438 | 4 |
| Total | 34-40 | 62.6 | 15,656 | 92 | 54 | 2,012 | 17 |
Meanwhile, Mariota’s career passer rating sits at 89.3. His best single-season mark as a passer came in 2016 when he posted a rating of 95.6. His worst during a season in which he made a start came in 2017 when he posted a rating of 79.3.
Marcus Mariota contract
Mariota’s career numbers may only be middle-of-the-road, but they were plenty good enough to earn him a solid payday in Philadelphia.
Mariota signed a one-year deal with the Eagles worth $5 million, per Spotrac.com. He will rank tied for 32nd in average annual value (AAV) among quarterbacks in the NFL for the 2023 season, per OverTheCap.com.
That said, Philadelphia will only absorb a cap hit of $1,932,000 for employing Mariota this season. Why? Because the Eagles added four void years to his contract. Those void years — a popular accounting mechanism used by NFL teams — allowed the Eagles to prorate Mariota’s signing bonus over a five-year period.
Below is a look at how Mariota’s contract breaks down over the five-year span.
| Year | Base salary | Bonuses | Cap hit | Dead cap |
| 2023 | $1,165,000 | $767,000 | $1,932,000 | $5,000,000 |
| 2024 | — | $767,000 | $767,000 | $3,068,000 |
| 2025 | — | $767,000 | $767,000 | $2,301,000 |
| 2026 | — | $767,000 | $767,000 | $1,534,000 |
| 2027 | — | $767,000 | $767,000 | $767,000 |
Marcus Mariota net worth
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mariota is worth $12 million. The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner has made just over $64.5 million in career earnings, per Spotrac.com, so this seems like a reasonable estimate.
Below is a look at Mariota’s earnings by season, which will increase to $69.5 million after the 2023 NFL season.
| Year | Earnings |
| 2015 | $16,330,324 |
| 2016 | $1,535,635 |
| 2017 | $2,636,270 |
| 2018 | $3,736,905 |
| 2019 | $20,922,000 |
| 2020 | $9,130,549 |
| 2021 | $3,500,000 |
| 2022 | $6,750,000 |
| Total | $64,541,683 |
Published at Wed, 12 Jul 2023 12:35:26 +0000
