5 NFL players entering contract year with something to prove

4. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans

The 2015 NFL Draft had two major quarterback prospects that teams were looking at selecting with early picks. First was the aforementioned Jameis Winston and the other was Marcus Mariota, who the Tennessee Titans took second overall. Coming out of Oregon, Mariota was an extremely mobile quarterback, which was arguably his biggest strength but that mobility is a big part of why Mariota has something to prove

Mariota uses his dangerous mobility still in the NFL, but it has got him into trouble, especially with injuries. In the Monday Morning Quarterback, Titans general manager Jon Robinson told Albert Breer the following regarding Mariota and how the Titans want him to play

"“The thing I’ve stressed to him, and I know our coaches have stressed to him is, Let’s live to play another play,” Robinson said. “Don’t take that hit. If you feel the pocket coming down on you and you take off running, and the ‘backer is coming off of coverage and he’s coming screaming at you, throw the ball away. It’s OK to punt, we’ll get another crack at it. That’s the main thing, it’s stressing to him—to try as best as possible, like all quarterbacks do, to avoid getting hit.”"

It should be noted that Mariota played in 14 games for the Titans last season. However, it was often that Mariota was playing through an injury when he was on the field. He might be able to curtail that nagging issue by running out of bounds or learning to live another day like Robinson clearly wants him to.

Mariota certainly isn’t a bad quarterback but the big questions surrounding him are his health and his ceiling? He has a decent arm, is pretty accurate and is mobile, but can he be elite at any of those areas in the NFL? If Mariota doesn’t have a career season in 2019, he won’t be a quarterback getting near-record-setting money.