Status update on Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota

On3 imageby:Tim Verghese10/16/21

TimVerghese

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The Las Vegas Raiders have activated backup quarterback Marcus Mariota off of injured reserve to the active roster per ESPN’s Field Yates.

Mariota, 27, missed the last four games after injuring his quad in the Raiders’ week one win over Baltimore. Mariota was inserted against the Ravens on a read option play that saw the Oregon product rip off a 31 yard run, but he came up injured on the play.

Mariota practiced Wednesday and Thursday heading into Week 6 against the Broncos and will likely serve as Derek Carr’s backup.

Mariota is in the final year of his two-year contract with the Raiders. Last season, Marcus Mariota appeared in just one game in relief of Carr, who suffered a groin injury in Week 15. In his sole appearance, against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mariota completed 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards, a touchdown, and an interception and rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown as the Raiders lost 30–27 in overtime.

Prior to his time with the Raiders, Marcus Mariota played five seasons in Tennessee after he was drafted by the franchise with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. In his Titans career, Mariota threw for 13,433 yards, 76 touchdowns and 44 interceptions. He also rushed for 1399 yards and 11 touchdowns in five seasons. Mariota started 61 of the 63 games he was available for.

Mariota had one of the most storied college careers in his time at Oregon. In three seasons, Mariota threw for 10,796 yards, rushed for 2,237 yards and had 134 combined touchdowns. Mariota won the Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Award, Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP, Rose Bowl MVP and was a Unanimous All-American selection in his three seasons in Eugene. He finished his career with six Oregon records and five Pac-12 records.

On Sunday, Las Vegas will take the field for the first time in four seasons without Jon Gruden following his resignation over the leaked emails scandal.

On Monday, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden informed his staff he would be resigning as the Raiders head coach. Gruden’s resignation comes after uncovered emails showed the Raiders head coach used racist, misogynistic and homophobic language. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Gruden and the Raiders “parted ways.”

A story released by the Wall Street Journal describing an email sent by Gruden back in July of 2011 to have contained the use of a racist trope directed at NFL players of association executive director DeMaurice Smith sparked an investigation and ensuing fallout.

On Monday, The New York Times detailed in a report that Jon Gruden made more offensive comments than those initially revealed in his emails. 

The emails under review were sent by Gruden to Bruce Allen, the former president of the Washington Football Team, and others while he was working as a color analyst on Monday Night Football.

In his emails, the report details that he used homophobic language and slurs to describe NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, as well as saying Goodell pressured former Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher to draft “queers.” The New York Times report that Goodell’s comments about Fisher refer to the drafting of Michael Sam, an openly gay player drafted in 2014.

Jon Gruden resigned midway through his fourth season as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. In 2018 he signed a record 10-year $100 million contract to take over the position from Jack Del Rio. The two-time Raiders coach also has a no-trade clause built into the contract. In his second stint with the Raiders, Gruden finishes 22-31 and never led his team to the playoffs in three seasons.