QB Marcus Mariota shining early for the Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders brought in Marcus Mariota to be a legitimate backup to Derek Carr in 2020, and he has been impressing his teammates, and coaching staff so far.

Since taking over as the Raiders starting quarterback as a rookie in 2014, Derek Carr has really never had to look over his shoulder. After winning the job from Matt Schaub, Carr has been the face of the franchise, setting numerous career records, and leading the team to their first playoff appearance since 2002.

Unfortunately, he has also had to deal with a number of head coaches and offensive coordinators, while also having a revolving door at wide receiver. Since Jon Gruden took over as head coach for the 2018 NFL season, he has finally gotten some stability, and that has led to him being the first Raiders quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.

Still, there are fans out there that are clamoring for the team to make a move, and this offseason, the organization definitely upgraded the position group behind him. Mike Mayock signed former Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to back up Carr in 2020, and he has the skill set Gruden loves in a quarterback.

So far, he has been impressive, and that is only a good thing for both Carr, and the Raiders.