Eagles agree to terms with former Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota

The former Heisman Trophy winner has struggled in his NFL tenure, but might be an ideal fit for the backup role to Jalen Hurts given their similarities as dual-threat quarterbacks.

Marcus Mariota (1) works in the pocket while with the Atlanta Falcons.Read moreBrynn Anderson / AP

by Josh Tolentino

Published March 17, 2023, 1:54 a.m. ET

Early Friday morning, the Eagles agreed to terms with former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota on a one-year deal worth up to $8 million, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer. The news was first reported by ESPN.

Mariota, the 2014 Hesiman Trophy winner while at the University of Oregon, provides the Eagles with stability at backup quarterback after the team lost Gardner Minshew to the Colts in free agency. Mariota, 29, is expected to compete with Ian Book for the main backup spot behind 24-year-old starter and 2022 NFL MVP finalist Jalen Hurts.

Mariota, the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft, has played for the Titans, Raiders, and Falcons. Over eight seasons, Mariota has appeared in 87 games (74 starts), completed 62.9% of his passes while tossing 92 touchdowns and 54 interceptions. Similar to Hurts, Mariota is a dual threat with 2,012 career rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Last season, Mariota began the year as the Falcons’ starter before he was replaced in December by rookie Desmond Ridder. The Falcons went 5-8 with Mariota under center.

While Mariota has struggled to stick as the main guy throughout his pro career, he provides the Eagles with a more serviceable backup to Hurts. When Hurts suffered an injury to his throwing shoulder this past December, the Eagles lost consecutive games with Minshew as his reserve. The run-pass-option has proven to be a dynamic factor to the Eagles’ offense, but that element of the playbook drastically disappeared with Hurts out of the lineup. With Mariota as QB2, the Eagles won’t need to omit many — if any — of those designed quarterback rushes.

Mariota, a native of Honolulu, boasts an instant connection with star receiver A.J. Brown. The duo played together during Brown’s rookie season in 2019 with the Titans. Mariota also played with wide receiver Devon Allen and special teams coordinator Michael Clay during their days together at Oregon.