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- Mar 20, 2019
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Marcus Mariota used the word “disappointed” more than once Wednesday. That seems a no-brainer after losing his job to Ryan Tannehill.
At the same time, the Titans quarterback also appeared somewhat upbeat about his future, vowing to use his backup role to “grow.”
“Disappointed for sure,” Mariota said, via video from Erik Bacharach of The Tennessean. “That’s solely on my shoulders. I had an opportunity to play, and I didn’t make the most of it. I’m going to learn and grow from it. This is an opportunity for me to grow as a person and as a player, and I’m going to do everything I can to help Ryan and help the team.”
The day the Titans traded for Tannehill in March likely signaled the beginning of the end for Mariota in Tennessee. It certainly put the pressure on him to perform.
He didn’t.
Mariota, the No. 2 overall choice in 2015, is in the final year of his contract and likely headed to free agency in March. If he never plays for the Titans again, he will leave with a 29-32 record and 89.6 passer rating.
“My expectation was always to be the best player I could be for this team,” Mariota said, via video from Jim Wyatt of the team website. “Until the day that I die, I’m going to believe I gave it all I got. No matter what, I can learn and grow from this situation. This isn’t going to bring me down. This isn’t going to end my career. This is an opportunity for me to grow, and I’m going to make the most of it.”
Since the day he was drafted, Mariota has been “the guy” in Tennessee. Now, he’s not.
The Titans will get to see if Tannehill is.
“It is going to be different,” Mariota said. “I haven’t really been in this role for a long time, really at all in my career. So again, I’m going to do everything I can to help Ryan and this team.”