Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota gets to do something fairly rare where he lives — he has an opportunity to bet millions on himself.

Not at the casino sports books, although you might be able to find some interesting prop bet odds there, too, but in a larger sense on the NFL’s open market.

Such as, does he take the restructured contract of $3 million (down from the $10.65 million figure of his current deal) as the Raiders are reportedly offering him, according to the NFL Network?

Or does he ever politely say thanks but no thanks, and let them cut him if they can’t trade him and see what kind of a free-agent deal his agents can land him?

The choice comes entering what would be the — lucky, or otherwise — seventh season in the NFL for the second overall selection of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.

Last year Mariota earned $7.5 million as the NFL’s highest-paid backup but saw action in only one game. The problem was incumbent starter Derek Carr stayed healthy for all but one game and Mariota didn’t get healthy until midway through the season.

It was one heckuva off-the bench performance that Mariota put in against the Chargers in Week 15, passing and running for scores like the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner he was. Eye-opening, to be sure, after such a long layoff, but not enough for the Raiders to justify the contract’s second-year salary of $10.625 million in a salary-cap year tightened by COVID-19 – especially when the Raiders have many needs, notably on defense.

In addition to Carr, who is due $19.5 million, the Raiders are paying two other quarterbacks, Nathan Peterman ($2.775 million) and Kyle Sloter ($920,000), salaries that are more in line with conventional backup money.

The Raiders have reportedly turned down trade feelers about Carr and have sought to trade Mariota.

But with an incentive-laden contract that could cost a new team in the neighborhood of $20 million if Mariota plays a lot and wins, there isn’t much they can currently demand in return. And cutting him saves them salary-cap space with little penalty.

However, if Mariota were to accept the reported $3 million deal, the Raiders could keep him or have a more attractive swap proposition from which to gain a draft pick in return.

But if you are the rebuilt and apparently healthy again Mariota at age 27, you feel like you still have a lot of football left in you. After 61 starts in his first five seasons, you badly want an opportunity to win a starting job and reestablish yourself. And a team where you might see the kind of playing time to help you earn one.

Problem is the NFL’s quarterback carousel, while still spinning, is slowing down, with fewer openings and less cap room available each day.

So, Mariota has an interesting wager to make. Double down on himself and have a say in where he ends up next. Or, take the reported $3 million and leave it up to the Raiders.

The guess is that Mariota, rested and confident again, bets heavily on himself.

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