Marcus Mariota quad injury, timeline for return revealed

Las Vegas Raiders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota is expected to miss at least two weeks with a quad injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The former Oregon star played a small role in the Raisers’ 33-27 victory against Baltimore on Monday.

“One great snap for Marcus Mariota,” Rapoport said. “A 31-yard scramble and you start to think, ‘Wow. The Raiders might be onto something with the two-quarterback system kind of like we’ve seen in San Francisco and Chicago.’ Then is got short circuited because Marcus Mariota reaggravated a quad injury and he is out at least a few weeks. Best case scenario is just a couple of weeks.”

The Raiders are set at quarterback with Derek Carr, who finished with 435 yards passing and two touchdowns. However, Las Vegas had plans to use Mariota as a change-of-pace option in the offense.

As Rapoport explains, this loss is much bigger than what it might seem.

“I know it’s a backup quarterback, but this was expected to be a big time part of the Raiders offense,” he said. “A real weapon that they could use to keep defenses on their toes and force them to prepare for something. All the great things you get when you have a mobile backup quarterback. All of that is now gone for at least the next couple of weeks.”

The Tennessee Titans selected Mariota with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft. He led Oregon to the first-ever College Football Playoff Championship Game, but lost to Ohio State.

He spent five seasons with the Titans but lost the starting job to Ryan Tannehill in 2019. He found a new home in Las Vegas the following season.

Tennessee enjoyed two playoff appearances during his five years.

Once Marcus Mariota returns from his quad injury, it will be interesting to see how he fits back into the Las Vegas offense. The Raiders have tough competition in the AFC West with Kansas City and the Los Angeles Chargers.