Marcus Mariota listed as the betting favorite to become the Patriots’ 2021 starting quarterback

With the New England Patriots exploring every possible avenue at their quarterback position, any and all options appear to be on the table. ESPN insider Field Yates, however, recently predicted that the team will start current Las Vegas Raiders backup and former first-round draft pick Marcus Mariota.

While this was merely a prediction and not a report, Yates is one of the most connected people in the NFL and his opinion does therefore carry some weight — at least as far as the world of sports betting is concerned. After all, Mariota has since become the favorite among available quarterback options to take over as New England’s starter come Week 1 of the 2021 regular season (via SportsBetting.com):

• Marcus Mariota: 5/2
• Jacoby Brissett: 7/2
• Jarrett Stidham: 4/1
• Cam Newton: 5/1
• Rookie Quarterback: 5/1
• Blaine Gabbert: 7/1
• Andy Dalton: 8/1
• Deshaun Watson: 10/1
• Brian Hoyer: 12/1
• Jimmy Garoppolo: 15/1
• Joe Flacco: 15/1
• Mike Glennon: 15/1

While it remains to be seen what happens, some of the quarterback listed among the top-12 such as Joe Flacco or Deshaun Watson appear to be long shots — for entirely different reasons. What is interesting, though, is that Jarrett Stidham is the favorite among the QBs who were with the team in 2020, ahead of Cam Newton and Brian Hoyer.

The odds of a rookie quarterback starting Week 1 are also seen as comparatively small, with Stidham and Jacoby Brissett being listed as more realistic options.