NFL Rumors: Marcus Mariota Linked to Raiders, Dolphins; Andy Dalton Eyed by Miami

The Miami Dolphins and Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly among the teams eyeing veteran quarterbacks as potential backup options in free agency.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported, "There could be a little bit of interest in Marcus Mariota between the Raiders and Dolphins. He's gonna have some choices this offseason."

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald also named veteran signal-caller Andy Dalton as "another impending free agent who is held in high regard by the Dolphins."

Schefter noted that Mariota has a connection to the Raiders, as new head coach Pete Carroll recently named Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator, and Kelly coached Mariota for two years at Oregon. However, he added that the Dolphins likely have an advantage because of Mariota's relationship with starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

"I'll tell you where else Marcus Mariota is going to be an option, with Tua, his good friend Tua. He'll be an option there... He's going to have some interesting options this offseason," Schefter said.

Mariota spent the 2024 season as the backup quarterback for the Washington Commanders, appearing in three games and throwing for 364 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions while also adding a rushing touchdown.

If the Dolphins fall short in their pursuit of Mariota, they would surely welcome the opportunity to add Dalton. Jackson noted that Miami has been interested in him for quite some time, as the team "explored trading for him after Tagovailoa's concussion in September but nothing materialized."

Dalton has been the backup quarterback for the Carolina Panthers for the past two seasons. He appeared in six games with five starts in 2024, throwing for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. The Panthers were 1-4 in games he started.

This year's free-agent class of quarterbacks features a crop of intriguing players such as Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, so teams like the Dolphins and Raiders will have a slew of options on the open market.