More than any other team, the Eagles know the importance of having a good backup quarterback. They now have to ask themselves if their current backup quarterback is good enough.
In the offseason, the Eagles gave Marcus Mariota a one-year, $5 million deal to serve as Jalen Hurts’ understudy. But Mariota, the second pick in the 2015 draft, lost the preseason to rookie Tanner McKee.
So if the Eagles decide McKee is better than Mariota, what will the Eagles do? Will they let Mariota go, despite a fully-guaranteed contract? Will they find another veteran to serve as No. 2 as McKee learns the ropes?
Although Netflix wades deep into the infomercials-masquerading-as-documentaries pool, the quarterback The series can only do so many glass-half-full jobs when it comes to making Mariota look good. The circumstances surrounding his departure from the Falcons after being benched for Desmond Ridder remain confusing and unresolved. And when Al Michaels specifically mentioned that dynamic during the game broadcast with the question of whether Mariota’s heart was in the game, the message was unmistakable — Al heard the concerns from people inside the Eagles organization.
So here is a question to ponder. Are the Eagles as surprised and alarmed as most viewers by the end of Mariota’s 2022 season? Does it change the way they view him?
While it doesn’t matter if he plays well, it doesn’t help his situation as he struggles.
What will happen if they tell him that he will be the No. 3 behind McKee? Will he walk away, like he did in 2022?
At this point, he owes the Eagles most if not all of the $3.5 million signing bonus he was paid when he agreed to terms with the Eagles.
Four days from the deadline to trim the roster down to 53, the Eagles may have some tough decisions to make regarding Mariota. Can he be No. 2? If not, will he be on the team?