Ferd Lewis: Marcus Mariota ready to leave painful 2018 behind

To take in Marcus Mariota’s dour press conference Monday was to hear someone for whom the year 2018 couldn’t give way to the New Year fast enough.

After being sacked a career-high 42 times and, then, having to stand by sidelined with neck and foot injuries as his Tennessee Titans lost to Indianapolis 33-17 in the final week of the regular season to miss out on the playoffs, who could blame him?

The pain on this day plainly wasn’t the nerve trauma in his neck as much as being counseled to sit out the make-or-break game to determine the sixth and last AFC seed in the postseason.

“What it came down to is: When you have an opportunity to play a game that you love, and someone tells you you shouldn’t, that’s one of the hardest things any athlete has to go through” Mariota told reporters at the team’s Nashville facility. “Unfortunately, I have to deal with that.”

Dr. Robert Watkins, a Los Angeles-based spine and neck specialist who advises several pro teams, evaluated Mariota in November after injuries suffered in the Indianapolis game and again last week after absorbing another “stinger.” This time, out of concern for exacerbating the injuries, he and the team were advised to sit him out.

Mariota said, “His recommendation ultimately was one of the factors that led to the decision (to be sidelined). For what it’s worth, you don’t always agree with those decisions. I was not happy with it. But, ultimately, what happened was I was not able to be out there with the guys.

“It sucks, it hurts, when you are not able to be out there with your guys. It definitely takes a toll on you. I just wanted to be there for my guys, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that.”

Taylor Lewan, the Titans’ Pro Bowl left tackle, told reporters, “Marcus is the ultimate competitor. I know it killed him (sitting out).”

This, Mariota’s fourth year in the NFL, was supposed to be a payoff year of sorts in which his production would encourage the Titans to sign their first-round pick (No. 2 overall) from the 2015 draft to a new, long-term contract going forward.

The Titans picked up the option on 2019 and will pay him nearly $21 million next season, so he need not wonder where his next plate lunch will come from. But now it will be the ’19 season that is pivotal in helping Tennessee decide the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner’s future there.

Mariota characteristically seems more concerned about remaining healthy long enough to realize his considerable potential. “It will take care of itself,” he said of the contract.

When he was healthy — he missed two of 16 games — and given some protection, he could be dominating. Mariota completed 68.9 percent of his passes — a career high — and ran for an average of 5.6 yards per carry in helping the Titans to a 9-7 record.

Mariota said he was told that he won’t require surgery, just time to heal.

“You just have to focus on what you can do day to day. It is hard sometimes. We live in a world where results and all these things matter. Just focus on what it takes day in and day out, and for me it is getting healthy. It is going to take some time, but I am willing to put in the work, and when it comes down to it, when we get back in here I’ll be ready to go.”

Mariota said, “For what it is worth, I will learn from it, grow from it.” He said he would, “Just use this as a part of my process, find ways to get healthy and get ready to go.”

For him, turning the page on the calendar is no doubt more cathartic than mere housekeeping.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.