Report: Marcus Mariota to back up Raiders’ Derek Carr

The Oakland Raiders might have a quarterback competition on their hands. Oakland is finalizing a deal with former Tennessee Titans signal caller Marcus Mariota, according to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport.

Mariota lost his starting job to Ryan Tannehill in 2019 after getting off to a slow start. While it appears like he’ll be backing up Derek Carr for now, he’s expected to get a chance to be in the running to start in Week 1.

Mariota only threw for 1,203 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 59.4% of his passes last season before being benched. Carr, on the other hand, reached career highs in passing yards (4,054) and completion percentage (70.4%) in 2019.

The Raiders lacked a dynamic top option at receiver after Antonio Brown forced his way out, and now they’re in a position to acquire a playmaker in the first round of the 2020 draft. The battle between Mariota and Carr will be one to monitor throughout 2020.