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KEY POINTS
- The Philadelphia Eagles reportedly turned to Marcus Mariota to fill the void left by Gardner Minshew
- Mariota got a new chance to prove that he is starting quarterback material with the Eagles
- Mariota is expected to mesh well with Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
The Philadelphia Eagles have found a player to take the place of Gardner Minshew.
The Eagles and Marcus Mariota have agreed on a one-year deal worth $5 million, Adam Schefter of ESPN and the Associated Press reported.
The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner’s agreement with the Eagles includes incentives that could jack up the value of the deal to $8 million, according to the reports.
Shortly after the first report broke, Mariota posted on Instagram Stories, “Go Birds,” along with the eagle emoji.
The 29-year-old play-caller became available after he was released by the Atlanta Falcons last month. Mariota was on the first year of a two-year deal.
The Falcons saved $12 million in salary cap space, giving themselves some financial flexibility heading into free agency this NFL offseason.
Last season, Mariota started for the Falcons before he was replaced by Desmond Ridder. The second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft failed to live up to expectations, going just 5-8 as a starter for Atlanta. This prompted the team to make the switch to Ridder.
Mariota ended up completing 61.3% of his passes for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding 438 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, Bleacher Report pointed out.
The 29-year-old was originally picked up by the Tennessee Titans in 2015 after being named the Heisman Trophy winner. Aside from this, Mariota also led the Oregon Ducks to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, although they eventually lost to Ohio State.
Mariota started 61 games with the Titans, but there were consistency issues. Tennessee ended up turning to Ryan Tannehill as their starting QB.
In his two years with the Titans, Mariota had more than 3,000 passing yards, including in 2016 when he threw for 3,426 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Aside from the Raiders and the Falcons, the Hawaii native also suited up for the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2020-21 season.
Mariota now gets a chance to prove his worth once more with the Eagles. Pundits see him complementing Jalen Hurts better than Minshew, who joined the Indianapolis Colts in free agency Thursday.
The former Oregon Duck boasts the kind of mobility that would allow him to run the aspects of the offense that require the quarterback to run, NBC Sports reported.
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