It is no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders need a quarterback.
Unfortunately, both highly-touted college quarterbacks may be off the board by the time the Raiders pick at No. 6, and the free agency market for the position is slim pickings.
But there is one veteran quarterback who could be available and makes a lot of sense given the coaching staff that the team has put together.
The Las Vegas Raiders could sign Marcus Mariota as a backup QB
Fans remember Mariota's tenure with the Raiders as a gadget guy who came in to relieve Derek Carr at times near the goal line and in short-yardage situations. From 2020-2021, Mariota played that role for the Raiders, and after starting for the Falcons the following season, he returned to a limited role with both the Eagles and Commanders.
This past season, Mariota was the backup to young superstar quarterback Jayden Daniels, but still came in and played exceptionally well in limited snaps. While he may not have the tools anymore to be a starter, Mariota can be effective in a limited capacity and is clearly an asset to a young quarterback.
A reunion makes sense with Mariota and the Raiders because Las Vegas just hired his college coach, Chip Kelly, as the team's next offensive coordinator. To make things more intriguing for the former Oregon Duck, the team brought back his former offensive coordinator, Greg Olson, to be the Raiders' quarterbacks coach.
Las Vegas is almost guaranteed to draft a quarterback this season, whether it be in the first round or at some point later on in the process. Mariota could serve as a mentor to this player in Kelly's offense, help with the dialogue in the quarterback room, and still be effective on the field in whatever capacity he is asked to be in.
Signing Mariota may not raise the ceiling of this team, but it certainly raises the floor. Spotrac predicts that his market value will be somewhere around $4.2 million, which would be nothing considering the cap space that the team has and the assumption that a rookie quarterback will be on the roster as well.