Marcus Mariota Eager to Get Started

Not that he had anything to worry about anyway; Marcus Mariota actually prefers boogie boarding.

That is, until Mariota – as a joke – decided to go surfing with his friends.

However, according Mark Helfrich, Mariota’s former coach at Oregon, at least one NFL head coach and general manager told him they were anxious about Mariota precisely because nobody could figure out what was wrong with him.

What will be more challenging for Whisenhunt during training camp is walking the fine line of developing rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota without overwhelming him in the first few weeks of his NFL career. “Mariota’s the starter, no doubt #Titans”, Wyatt tweets.

Coming off a 2-14 finish that earned them the high draft pick, the Titans have made Mariota more than a four-year, $24.2 million investment. Whisenhunt said part of this camp will be determining how much both Mariota and all the other young Titans can process.

Since players weren’t allowed on team facilities until Thursday, Mariota and some of his receivers worked out at a private suburban Nashville facility.

Center Brian Schwenke, who hung out with Mariota at the swimming pool and at a BBQ during the break, said he’s been impressed with the quarterback’s maturity.

But they’ll also be careful not to overload him.

Whisenhunt said, “I think the important thing that drives this is we’ve got a good player who can help us achieve our goal”. “Obviously there are some things he does well”, Whisenhunt said.

“It’s more about seeing what he can do in the live situations – with the pads on in the pocket”, Whisenhunt said. “When you’re out there in shorts and helmets, you don’t really get a sense of a real pocket”. He did a lot of nice things moving in the pocket and stepping up, but now when you’re having bodies around you, it’s a little bit different. “We all get paid to make the quarterback look good, and that’s what we got to do this year”.

During an offseason when he was the face of the team’s marketing plan, Mariota knows the fans have high expectations.