Marcus Mariota said he feels he accomplished one of his major rookie season goals, making an impact with the Tennessee Titans.
“I think my goal was to try and come in and make an impact and I thought I did that to an extent,” Mariota told a season-end press conference Monday in Nashville, Tenn.
Mariota was the second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft and started 12 games. Despite missing four games — including Sunday’s finale — due to injury, the quarterback from Saint Louis School and the University of Oregon set franchise rookie records in several areas, including touchdowns (19), passing yardage (2,818), completion percentage (62.1) and passer rating (91.5).
“I wish we could have a few more wins,” Mariota said of the 3-13 Titans, who will have the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
He said his first priority is getting healthy after being sidelined by a ligament sprain in his right knee for the final two games. “That is going to be my first goal in mind, to get healthy and, once that happens, gain a little bit of weight and get ready for the offseason (preparation).”
Mariota, who started the season at 224 pounds, was sacked 38 times and suffered ligament injuries in both knees during the season.
The Titans, who announced a front-office shakeup Monday, will be hiring a head coach and general manager. Mariota thanked the outgoing GM, Ruston Webster, for believing in him.
“First and foremost, I’m very thankful for Ruston giving me a chance, an opportunity. Not a lot of people believed in a spread-system quarterback coming out of college and he early kind of went to bat for me,” Mariota said. “I just want to say ‘thank you’ and wish him the best.”
Mariota said he will watch the realignment of the Titans unfold. “Whatever they decide to do I’ll full-heartedly support it and just get ready for next season.”
Mariota said, “That’s all you can do. It is out of your control. For now all you can do is take it one day at a time and see what happens.”