The Las Vegas Raiders are a team that seems to be on the verge of becoming a legitimate playoff contender, but it can’t avoid the constant trade rumors about quarterbacks Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota.
Along with the Raiders being linked to Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, putting Carr’s future in Las Vegas in doubt, Mariota is also a quarterback on the team that could be headed elsewhere.
The most recent rumor involves the Washington Football Team and their desire to upgrade the quarterback position. The franchise reportedly tried to acquire Mariota from the Raiders, but trade talks have stalled, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic.
Washington tried to acquire Marcus Mariota from the Raiders, according to multiple sources, but talks have cooled off. Whatever the reason, Mariota’s salary in the remaining year on his contract — $10.75 million to $22 million, based on reachable escalator clauses — makes for tricky math and planning when calculating the balance sheet. Reworking Mariota’s contract to cap his max in the $14 million to $15 million range, and fully guaranteeing that money, is plausible.
With the Raiders on the cusp of being a legitimate threat in the AFC, Jon Gruden and company could make some drastic moves this NFL offseason to get them that much closer in 2021.
However, only time will tell if the team is truly committed to Carr and if they can and will trade Mariota at some point. Anything seems possible with this team, but it is also not beyond the realm of possibility that Las Vegas keeps Carr and Mariota for at least one more season.
Mariota played in only one game for the Raiders during the 2020 campaign as he filled in for the injured Carr and threw for 226 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
