After the Raiders ended the 2024 season on an ugly note of 4-13, Tom Brady and the owners are busy moving important pieces to tackle the 2025 season. The first big move was the hiring of SB champion Pete Carroll as a head coach. He was also the former Seahawks HC, which started rumors that the Raiders could sign Russell Wilson. Considering the fact that the QB was on a one-year veteran minimum deal with the Steelers, it seemed very probable that he could move to the Raiders. However, it seems he is more interested in signing yet another deal with ‘Blitzburgh’ instead of joining a new team.

In fact, in January, he also revealed that contract discussions with the team had commenced. “We’ve had our meetings and everything else, just getting into it. So I think that it’s an exciting time to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and the opportunity of what we can do,” he stated. It looks like the 36-year-old wants to finish his career at ‘Steel City’. And with Wilson making his intentions clear, new rumors are swirling in Las Vegas.

According to ‘NFL Rumors’ on X, “Marcus Mariota is the name to watch for a veteran QB for the #Raiders. Mariota excelled in the Chip Kelly offense and Jayden Daniels talked about what a strong influence he was.” Yeah, you read right. Though it can be a rumor, no one can deny the possibility. And you wanna know what Jayden Daniels said about Marcus Mariota?

Talking about his teammate, the Washington Commanders’ rookie QB said, “He’s always been a guy that when I first met him, very genuine, very nice and just was like, ‘If you need anything, just let me know.'” The other conversation between Daniels and Mariota, which went viral on social media last year, was, “Stand up, catch your air, get your wind. And go out there and execute. Use your God-given abilities. And let’s win this game.”

The Commanders signed the former Heisman Trophy winner of 2014 for a one-year $6,000,000 deal for the 2024 season. And as he is a free agent now, Pete Carroll could want the Commanders‘ backup QB to shake hands with the Raiders. It will be interesting to see if these rumors turn out to be true.

For the 2024 season, Mariota recorded zero interceptions, and four touchdowns and completed 34 out of 44 passes (77.3% CMP) for 364 yards. And his QBR? It’s 87.9. 

However, do you know why talks about Mariota’s trade began? Perhaps Russell Wilson had something to do with it. 

Russell Wilson does not want to join Pete Carroll’s team…

Fans know Wilson was in the Seahawks with Pete Carroll as the head coach. But the 10-time Pro Bowl parted ways with them to join the Broncos and later ended up with the Steelers.

So, as he had deep connections with Carroll and was preparing for free agency after the 2024 season, a reporter asked him about joining the Raiders and once again playing under Carroll. What was the QB’s response?

Talking about shaking hands with Pete Carroll, Wilson said, “I’m looking forward to hopefully going back to the Steelers and we’ll see what happens with the rest. I love it in Pittsburgh.” But does the team want to re-sign him?

The Steelers owner, Art Rooney II, had remarked earlier, “I think both of them [Fields and Wilson] see themselves as starters. And I don’t know if they want to share the same job again next year. So, I would say we probably don’t wind up bringing them both back.”

Well, this can make Wilson think about the job Carroll’s organization could offer. 

On Jan 23, when Wilson was at the Pat McAfee Show, he stated, “Hopefully, I can play there a lot longer and finish my career there. It’s a special place because of the guys in the locker room.” Alright, but what if the Steelers want to move on from Russell Wilson? 

So, if Pete Carroll wants Mariota on his team, who has been a Raider before (2020, 2021), it would be a great match. But let’s see if this is a rumor or a reality. What do you think?