Raiders Rumors: Marcus Mariota's Trade Market Has 'Dried Up' Before Free Agency

The trade market for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota has reportedly gone cold.

The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that "Mariota had an active trade market as of last week. Sounds like that is dried up for a couple of different reasons."

The 27-year-old played well in his one appearance in 2020, throwing for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also rushed nine times for 88 yards and a score. The Raiders lost that contest 30-27 in overtime against the Los Angeles Chargers.

His solid outing revitalized talk that Mariota might still be a capable starter in the NFL after losing his starting gig to Ryan Tannehill with the Tennessee Titans in 2019. The Raiders brought him aboard to back up Derek Carr last season. 

With a reasonable cap hit of just $10.7 million next season, he'd be an interesting option for a team looking to upgrade at quarterback without breaking the bank or for a team that drafts a young quarterback but doesn't want to throw him into the fire immediately.

It seems less likely that Mariota will return to Las Vegas, with Rapoport reporting earlier in the week that Carr likely would be back as the team's quarterback next season:

The quarterback trade market has already been unusually busy, with Matt Stafford, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz traded. But with those three dealt—and uncertainty abound when it comes to the fate of Deshaun Watson—it appears that market has slowed. 

Expect things to heat back up closer to April's NFL draft.