It wasn't that long ago that quarterback Marcus Mariota was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.

Mariota struggled at times with the Titans, but he managed to lead the team to three straight winning seasons (from 2016 to 2018) and even won a playoff game in 2017 (in the Wild Card Round against the Kansas City Chiefs).

In 2019, however, the Titans benched Mariota in favor of Ryan Tannehill. And just like that, Mariota's career as a starting quarterback was put on indefinite hold.

For the last two years, Mariota has backed up Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. The former Oregon Duck has played sparingly during that two-year span, passing for only 230 yards during his with the Raiders.

Mariota is only 28. And he's very much an under-the-radar option for a team in need of a quarterback in 2022.

In fact, ESPN recently labeled Mariota as the underrated free-agent quarterback this offseason.

From ESPN:

There is an argument to be made that Mariota is the most alluring free-agent quarterback on the market. That says a lot about the options out there, but if there has to be a choice, it's Mariota. He has played meaningful NFL action in just one game over the last two years in Las Vegas — Week 15 of 2020 — and the results were quite good, as evidenced by his 82.1 PFF grade.

The best free-agent fit for former Titans starting QB Marcus Mariota

Mariota needs to go to a franchise where they won't be reliant on Hall of Fame-caliber play from the quarterback to win games.

That's why the Pittsburgh Steelers are the perfect destination for Mariota.

The Steelers are going to be carried by their defense in 2022. They don't need an elite-level quarterback to make the playoffs. They just need someone who plays smart and can execute the offensive plan.

Speaking of the offense, Mariota is a much better fit for the Steelers' offensive scheme under Matt Canada than Ben Roethlisberger was.

Canada's offense is similar to a college offense. There's a lot of focus on the motions and shifts, but ultimately it's a bunch of jet sweeps, bubble screens, curl routes, and throws to the flats. There weren't a lot of deep throws down the field (Roethlisberger often had to get rid of the ball quickly and his limited mobility caused issues there). Mariota's mobility could open that offense up a bit more, allowing Canada to get a little more creative and play with tempo (something Canada would prefer to do).

Signing Mariota wouldn't be overly expensive and it would still allow the Steelers to take a young quarterback in the draft to develop. Maybe they could sign Mariota to a deal that has an out after two years.

This isn't a glamorous option for the Steelers. But it's a smart option that would provide some financial flexibility. And it would give Mariota one more chance to prove he can be a starter in the NFL.

Featured image via USA TODAY Sports