What happened to Marcus Mariota? Retracing QB's roller-coaster career so far

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Marcus Mariota is one of the stars of the Netflix football series "Quarterback." The former second-overall pick of the 2015 Draft has been up and around the NFL, and he'll be playing for his fourth team in 2023.

In this story, we will look at what happened to Mariota in 2022 and why he left the Atlanta Falcons at the end of the season. We will also briefly examine the Oregon College alum's career. So without further ado, let's get to it.

What happened to Marcus Mariota in 2022?

Marcus Mariota started most of the 2022 season, but it soon became apparent that the veteran wasn't what the Falcons needed. Mariota was ultimately benched late in the season in favor of Desmond Ridder. He left the team for knee surgery and was released during the offseason.

After Mariota's release from Atlanta, it was expected that he would get a chance to serve as a backup quarterback somewhere in the league.

He found an excellent gig with the Philadelphia Eagles as Jalen Hurts' backup. He will replace Gardner Minshew in that role after Minshew followed Shane Steichen to the Colts as a free agent.

Marcus Mariota's NFL Career Timeline

Marcus Mariota entered the NFL after a stellar college career at the University of Oregon. He became the first University of Oregon player and the first Hawaii-born athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Mariota played for the school from 2012 until 2014 and was selected second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 Draft.

His first stop in the NFL was with the Titans, and he was the team's starting quarterback from 2015 until 2018. He lost his starting job in 2019 to Ryan Tannehill.

In the offseason, before the start of free agency, the Titans extended Tannehill's contract, signaling the end of Mariota's five-year stay in Tennessee. Eventually, Marcus Mariota left the Titans to sign a two-year, $17.6 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. He joined the Raiders as a backup to longtime starting quarterback Derek Carr.

Mariota never stood a chance against Carr, as the Pro Bowler's starting role was never in doubt. Throughout his time with the Raiders, Mariota was used constantly as a gadget quarterback and typically entered games to run or hand off the football. He left the franchise at the end of the 2021 NFL season.

Mariota signed a two-year, $18.75 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons on March 21, 2022. He impressed the Falcons' staff so much that he was named the starting QB after engaging in an open competition for the starting job with rookie Desmond Ridder during the 2022 off-season.

As we already know, eventually, Mariota lost the starting job to Ridder at the tail end of the 2022 season. The Raiders released him on February 28, 2023. Mariota has since joined the Philadelphia Eagles to get his NFL career back on track.