The song remains the same for the Tennessee Titans. The roster, from top to bottom, isn't terrible. Unfortunately, the team is unable to compete for a postseason birth due to poor quarterback play. Will Levis has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, and Mason Rudolph hasn't performed much better.
The Titans invested a No. 2 overall pick in former Oregon star Marcus Mariota with the expectation he would fix it all in 2015. While he had some very impressive moments in Tennessee, including a tremendous 2016 season and a playoff game victory, injuries and inconsistency ultimately brought an end to his time in Nashville.
Mariota has since bounced around as a high-end backup and spot starter for teams like the Raiders, Falcons, and Eagles. He joined the Washington Commanders in 2024 to back up rookie sensation Jayden Daniels. When Daniels left Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers with a rib injury, Mariota turned back the clock to his Oregon days.
Mariota completed 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-0 embarrassing of Carolina. Quality of the opponent notwithstanding, it has to be frustrating to see Mariota cooking for Washington while the Titans waste a very promising collection of skill position players.
Marcus Mariota showed up and showed out when the @Commanders called on him yesterday 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DDSsS0QAwO
— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2024
Marcus Mariota shines for Commanders as Titans struggle with QB play
It looked like Mariota was the next great AFC quarterback after he threw 26 touchdowns against just nine picks in his second season while making plays as a runner. While he didn't help himself, Mariota (who went 29-32 as a starter in Tennessee), was done no favors by an outdated Mike Mulrkey coaching staff and pitiful receiving talent.
Even at his lowest in Tennessee, no one could doubt that Mariota was an amazing athlete with an accurate arm who consistently got the ball where it needed to go. He never had the howitzer arm needed to make every throw in the NFL, but games like that show what everyone fell in love with.
While the Ryan Tannehill rebirth breathed new life into this organization, he eventually hit his sell-by date and the Titans have floundered since. Levis is starting to look more like a backup than ever before, and Rudolph is apparently unwilling to throw the ball downfield.
Kliff Kingsbury coaching against arguably the worst team in the NFL will make anyone look good, but there's still some glimpses of the player that made so many memories in Tennessee housed inside Mariota.