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NFL exec ‘could see’ Marcus Mariota going to Bears, but it’s complicated

By Michael Moraitis

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Tennessee Titans looks on during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Tennessee Titans looks on during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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According to an ESPN article, one NFL executive believes Tennessee Titans backup quarterback Marcus Mariota could go to the Chicago Bears in 2020, but the situation would be complicated.

With the Tennessee Titans unexpectedly extending their season with upset wins over the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs, the conversation about where backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will end up in 2020 has been put on hold.

Mariota, who was the No. 2 overall pick of the Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft and is set to become a free agent in 2020, is almost certainly on his way out of Nashville after Ryan Tannehill helped resurrect Tennessee’s season after taking over as the starter in Week 7.

Where Mariota will end up remains to be seen, however.

According to an article by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (subscription required), one NFL executive believes the Chicago Bears could be a potential landing spot.

"“I could see Chicago [for Mariota]. Ryan Pace wants to stick with Mitch [Trubisky], and this way Mariota can start games but isn’t a total replacement, leaving room for Trubisky to regain his confidence and play well.”"

Chicago will be one of the more popular potential destinations talked about for Mariota.

In an article we posted back in October, Benjamin Mott listed the Bears as a possible landing spot for the Oregon product. And, in November, I wrote an article about which teams would give Mariota the best chance to start, and the Bears were one of those teams on the list.

The reasons for that are obvious. The Bears currently sport their own former No. 2 overall pick at quarterback in Mitch Trubisky, who struggled mightily during the 2019 season and has left doubts about his future viability.

Just like Tannehill did with the Titans, Mariota could go to Chicago as an insurance policy just in case Trubisky continues to fail. If that happens, Mariota would get a second chance to prove himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

One potential awkward situation that could derail Mariota going to Chicago is that he and Trubisky share the same agent, as the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs pointed out, per Cam Ellis of NBC Sports Chicago.

"“… those quarterbacks share the same agent, and that makes no sense for the agent because the agent then guarantees one of their two clients is not starting. And, furthermore, the agent probably sees Trubisky as a guy who should be a starter, who shouldn’t be challenged for the starting job, so there’s almost no way that they would take another one of their clients to go challenge another one of their clients for the job. Mariota’s just an absolute non-starter for the Bears, no matter how they even evaluate him … “"

That’s certainly an interesting little nugget and a very valid point by Biggs. We’ll see if it truly stops Mariota and the Bears from being a match should there be mutual interest during the offseason.

What happens with Marcus Mariota in free agency this year will be one of the more interesting storylines in the entire NFL, and Titans fans will no doubt have at least some curiosity about where he ends up.

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