Marcus Mariota during his college stint at Oregon. (Photo : Reuters)
Marcus Mariota, the Tennessee Titans second pick in the recent NFL Draft, has not yet signed his rookie contract, which makes him one of the three incoming rookies who are still without an official team as the preseason draws near.
According to Oregon Live's Geoffrey C. Arnold, the reason for the delay is quite unsure at this stage in the offseason.
A lot of rumors had arisen because of the quarterback's apparent hesitation, including a speculated grand reunion with Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly who coached him in Oregon before the latter moved to the NFL in 2013.
As of the moment, it is widely known that Kelly is having problems with his quarterback lineup as starting signal caller Sam Bradford has yet to fully recover from his knee injury with only months away from the start of the season. He has Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, and Matt Barkley as backups, but none of the three is expected to effectively fill in Bradford as lead QB.
Although indications are positive that Mariota will eventually sign with the Titans, the 21-year-old would have been the perfect quarterback for Kelly as proven by their success in leading the Oregon Ducks to a 12-1 season in 2012.
Fansided said that Kelly's offensive schemes are said to be specially designed for young, athletic, speedy, and strong-armed passers, which is why Tebow is currently thriving in it. But Mariota would have definitely fit the starting bill if ever.
However, nothing is still set in stone in Tennessee or Philadelphia. As long as the rookie has not signed over the dotted line, anything is still possible for both teams.
