Marcus Mariota Trade Rumors: Raiders QB Garnering 'Legitimate and Real Interest'

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday that "there's legitimate and real interest" in Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota, who appeared in one game this season, taking over for a hurt Derek Carr in Week 15.

In the 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Mariota completed 17 of his 28 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown, adding a rushing score while compiling 88 yards on nine carries.

The No. 2 pick in 2015, Mariota is entering the final season of his two-year deal with the Raiders and is set to earn $10.6 million in base salary in 2021, per NFL.com's Grant Gordon. If he makes a move, it will be his third team in as many years.

The quarterback rumor mill has been spinning since the Detroit Lions sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff. Per Gordon, Rapoport had previously reported that teams around the league believed the Raiders were "open" to moving either of their quarterbacks.

But the latest development finds that the team is hoping to hang on to Carr. Per Gordon, Rapoport said it "didn't sound like [the Raiders have] hung up the phone, but I don't get the sense they want to deal him, either."

The 29-year-old Carr is set to enter his eighth season in the league, having spent all of them with the Raiders. The 2014 second-round pick has two years left on a five-year, $125 million extension.

In 2020, he posted a career-high 4,103 yards with 27 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 67.3 completion percentage.

Keeping Carr is a smart move for the Raiders, and while Mariota is a capable backup, his $10.725 million cap hit without penalty for moving on makes a trade an ideal option.