After a flurry of quarterback rumors to start the offseason, the trade market appears to be slowing down significantly.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the trade market for Marcus Mariota, regarded as potentially the next quarterback to be moved, has “dried up significantly” due largely to incentives in his contract.
“A couple of days ago, it really seemed like Marcus Mariota was going to be on the move,” Rapoport said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I know teams were interested, were calling the Las Vegas Raiders about potentially acquiring Marcus Mariota . Things did get down the line a little bit. There is significant interest in teams trying to get Marcus Mariota … but there is an issue.
“If he is the starter and ends up playing the entire season, he can make an additional $12 million, so more than $20 million for Marcus Mariota. Teams, as of right now, don’t seem to think that’s something that would be worth it, especially when you consider they’d also give up a draft pick to trade for him. That trade market has now dried up significantly.”
The Las Vegas Raiders could be forced to release Mariota if they cannot find a trade partner due to the money tied up in him. That would probably suit everyone except the Raiders, as Mariota would be able to choose his destination while teams could negotiate a contract that they find more suitable.
Mariota’s future is murky right now, but there’s apparently some reason to believe he could have a high-profile starting role in 2021.
