With the likelihood of Marcus Mariota returning to the Raiders after this season, who are some potential replacements to back up Derek Carr in 2022?
Heading into the 2021 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders have one of the more solid one-two punches at the quarterback position. While Derek Carr will return as the starter in 2021, and likely beyond, backup Marcus Mariota is likely looking at his final season in the Silver and Black, which means the team will be looking for a replacement in 2022.
For most teams, this conversation would not be a big deal, but with the amount of money the Raiders put into the backup quarterback position, and how much debate is brought up, this is a question that must be asked. Mariota has not played much for the Raiders, but he stepped up in a big way against the Los Angeles Chargers last season, looking every bit a starting quarterback.
Looking ahead, Jon Gruden is not likely to bring in a traditional, no-name backup quarterback, as he is a coach who actually covets the QB2 spot. Considering what he did with Mariota last year, I would expect something similar, hopefully for a much smaller price.
Let’s take a look at some quarterbacks who are set to hit the market in 2022 that will likely get Gruden’s attention.