There's been scuttlebutt aplenty in regard to Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr being a trade candidate.
However, there's a chance a Raiders quarterback could be dealt and it's not Carr.
Following one season as a backup with the Raiders and one very impressive showing in relief of Carr, Marcus Mariota is drawing trade suitors, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
"Marcus Mariota is getting some trade interest, as well," Rapoport said Tuesday on NFL NOW. "There's legitimate and real interest in Mariota."
As the quarterback carousel has already begun spinning with the Detroit Lions-Los Angeles Rams' impending swap of Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff, Rapoport reported Sunday that teams were of the belief that the Raiders were open to trading Carr or Mariota.
On Tuesday, Rapoport reported that teams have shown interest in Carr and that it "didn't sound like [the Raiders have] hung up the phone, but I don't get the sense they want to deal him, either."
In Mariota, though, the Raiders have a former first-rounder who flashed brilliance in 2020 and has some believing promise lies ahead.
The 27-year-old Mariota played in only one game for the Raiders, a 30-27 Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. But Mariota came on in relief of an injured Carr and looked excellent, delivering 17-of-28 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown and running nine times for 88 yards and a score. Mariota signed a two-year deal with the Raiders ahead of the 2020 season and is due a 2021 base salary of $10.625 million.
The No. 2 pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Mariota has some believing a remarkable twist of career could be in store and he could remarkably be the next Ryan Tannehill, as Rapoport put it. Tannehill was a first-round pick for the Dolphins who didn't pan out as well as hoped and moved to the Titans as a reserve and eventually took over the starting role, which resulted in Mariota moving on to Las Vegas.
Mariota might well be leaving Las Vegas, but with some far higher aspirations than those of which he came to the Raiders with. Time and a crazy offseason ahead will tell the tale.
