It's hard to imagine a former Heisman trophy winner willingly accepting a backup quarterback role to make the face of the franchise better. 

But that is what the Philadelphia Eagles' new backup quarterback, Marcus Mariota, did in March. On Thursday, Mariota explained why he chose to join the Eagles, and at the heart of his rationale was playing with Hurts, who is one of the NFL's rising stars after leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl in the 2022 season. 

"My role is just to provide information and just share experiences," Mariota said at his introductory press conference.

"I just really believe that I can relate with a lot of guys and be able to just continue to build that chemistry in the locker room, be a voice, and make an impact any way that I can … I think specifically for the quarterback position – ups and downs, you're going to face those throughout your career. Just being a guy for Jalen and being a resource any way that I can to hopefully make him better and make the team better."

Mariota joins Hurts and Ian Book in a quarterback room led by Alex Tanney, whom Mariota knows well.

The advantage of having Mariota play backup to Hurts is the similar skill set the quarterbacks possess. 

If Hurts misses time, as he did at the end of the 2022 regular season, Mariota can keep things afloat without needing to overhaul the offensive identity of the Eagles. 

With the wealth of experience Mariota has, he can show Hurts parts of the game that only come with playing at the NFL level for an extended amount of time. Mariota knows that is why he was brought in. It's the experience that sets him apart. 

“I’ve been the guy, I’ve been the scout team guy, I’ve been released," Mariota said. "So through all those different situations and scenarios, I’ve gathered a lot of experience, a lot of knowledge. I’m at a point in my career where I just want to enjoy the game. I want to have fun doing it. The scheme is very exciting for me, and the fact of the matter is, I feel like I can help Jalen. If we can make Jalen a better player, this team is going to be better.”

As the Eagles hash out a contract extension for Hurts, Mariota knows his role. He's confident in it. And he knows that it is his experience that can give this team a different perspective to get over the hump.