Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel praised quarterback Marcus Mariota for his leadership.
Despite being benched in Week 6 and ultimately losing his starting job, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota handled things as professionally as possible.
He never made a stink about the decision and continued to help the team in any way he could by aiding starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill in preparing for games and helping the Titans both on the practice field and on the field of play.
In his season-ending press conference on Monday, head coach Mike Vrabel praised Mariota for his leadership and the example he set after he was benched.
Vrabel on Mariota: Talked to him this morning and told him how proud he is with how he handled everything this season. Said he's a great leader, and he improved.@Titans
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) January 20, 2020
When asked about what his future might hold, Mariota has no doubt he can still be a starting quarterback in the NFL, per Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.
"“I have no doubts at all, no doubts at all,” Mariota said. “I’m just hopeful and ready for whatever that next opportunity is.”"
The former No. 2 overall pick will be a free agent this offseason after the fifth and final year of his rookie contract expires. Chances are he has played his last game for the Titans.
But if nothing else, the guy who Mariota lost his starting job to is a perfect example of how things can turn around quickly. Tannehill was thought to be a failed starter after being traded from the Miami Dolphins to the Titans, but he quickly turned his career around in just one season.
Mariota should be looking for a team that will give him the same opportunity, whether that be as a starter right away or as a backup to a quarterback who might be vulnerable.
No matter what happens, Mariota will always be credited with taking over a franchse that was down and out and bringing it back to relevancy. It might not have worked out the way we all hoped, but to say his time in Nashville is a complete failure just isn’t telling the whole story.