Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota needs to play better, in order to become a franchise quarterback. Which means he needs to play more.
Which means he needs to be available to play more. Which means he needs to find a way to avoid injury. Which means, among other things, that he needs to get bigger.
Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com reports that Mariota has added 12-13 pounds this offseason.
Whether that helps Mariota escape injury remains to be seen, but extra bulk often allows a player to absorb more impact. Mariota has missed eight regular-season games in four full seasons. An elbow/nerve issue caused him to miss a pair of games last year, including a playoff play-in game against the Colts.
The Titans have shown no inclination to give Mariota a second contract. He’ll make $20.9 million this season; what happens for him in 2020 depends largely on what he can do in 2019.