Marcus Mariota carted off with ankle injury (Video)

Marcus Mariota experienced the most heartbreaking game of his NFL career. He suffered an injury that may be fatal to the Tennessee Titans’ season.

Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is having a miserable Christmas Eve, as his team is on the verge of losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars. To make matters worse, Mariota suffered an ankle injury that forced him to leave the game. The Titans quarterback was carted off with an air cast on his left leg.

It remains to be seen how serious Mariota’s injury is, but he will definitely not return for the Titans in this game. Judging by Mariota’s apparent pain, he may have to miss Week 17 as well and could be lost for the playoffs if the Titans earn a postseason berth. The official Titans twitter account confirmed this heartbreaking news.

The Titans trail the Jaguars, 38-17, in the fourth quarter. Mariota struggled for most of the day before suffering an injury. He finished with 99 yards and one touchdown pass on 8-of-20 passing. Mariota was sacked by Jaguars defensive lineman Sheldon Day, which caused his injury. Matt Cassel has stepped in for the Titans since Mariota left the field.

After the Titans lose this game, they are all but eliminated from playoff contention. Even a Week 17 win against the Houston Texans would not be enough for the Titans. The Texans hold the tiebreaker over the Titans even if they both finish with a 9-7 record.

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Although Christmas Eve did not go as expected, Mariota has shown remarkable improvement in his second NFL season. He has thrown 26 touchdown passes with just nine interceptions. In addition, Mariota led the Titans to impressive victories such as a 47-25 blowout over the Green Bay Packers. His presence gives the Titans hope for the future.