Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy compared Marcus Mariota to Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Marcus Mariota has been one of the most hyped names with the 2015 NFL Draft coming up, and he is widely considered to be the best quarterback prospect available. It is always difficult to compare college quarterbacks to NFL quarterbacks, but former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy decided to take a shot at a Mariota comparison.
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Dungy went out on a limb and suggested that Mariota is a very similar player to Green Bay Packers’ superstar Aaron Rodgers. It isn’t necessarily a “terrible” comparison, but Mariota has a long way to go before developing an arm like Rodgers has. Mariota has to be pretty proud to receive this comparison, especially with Rodgers being arguably the best quarterback currently playing in the NFL.
“He does remind me a lot of Aaron Rodgers coming out of college. You know, Aaron Rodgers didn’t play for three (or) four years in Green Bay, and now he’s arguably the best quarterback in football,” Dungy said. “But I think Marcus has a lot of the same skill set. He has the same drive and determination. I just really think the world of him as a person. I just think he’s special.”
Rodgers did have time under former NFL superstar quarterback Brett Favre, which is one of the main reasons for the success that he has had. There are quite a few similarities between Rodgers and Favre, and it is obvious that Rodgers picked up a good chunk of his game from Favre.
Mariota may never have the comfort of sitting behind a superstar and learning the game on the sidelines. As far as Dungy’s comments about their drive and determination, nearly every quarterback that has the talent to get into the NFL has that same determination.
Throughout his three seasons with the Oregon Ducks, Mariota posted up some impressive numbers. He threw for 10,796 yards, 105 touchdowns, and just 14 interceptions.
There is no question that he has the athleticism to be a very successful NFL quarterback. Rodgers is deceptively quick on his feet as well, which has given him a competitive advantage over his opposition. Mariota’s arm isn’t anything close to what Rodgers has to work with, but it could develop to that point with hard work.
It is a very intriguing comparison to say the least, and it is something that fans will keep an eye on over the next few seasons. Rodgers quickly burst onto the scene when he was finally given a chance after Favre left, and Mariota will be expected to make an impact quickly as well.
Obviously Dungy has a great football mind, which makes this comparison even more interesting. Mariota has all of the talent in the world, but he has a lot of work to do to get there.
H/T NFL.com
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