INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - DECEMBER 01: Marcus Mariota #8 of the Tennessee Titans leaves the field following a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 01, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

This would be a cruel twist of the knife for Marcus Mariota fans in Tennessee.

Marcus Mariota ended up as one of the most divisive quarterbacks in Tennessee Titans history, but where he goes next is a big story to everyone.

If Mariota just disappeared and ended up as Russell Wilson‘s backup or behind Drew Brees in New Orleans, it would be big news but nothing incredibly interesting to Tennessee Titans fans.

However, a recent rumor from Tony Pauline (maybe the most connected person in the media outside of Adam Schefter) suggests that Titans fans are going to be in for a twist of fate in free agency.

It seems like the two teams that are the most interested in Marcus Mariota in free agency are the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts:

Keep this in the back of your mind – with all the uncertainty surrounding Tom Brady, the New England Patriots are showing interest in soon to be free agent quarterback Marcus Mariota. The former first round pick is being courted by several teams who may have an open competition at quarterback. I’m told the Indianapolis Colts have also shown interest in Mariota – just in case.

If Marcus Mariota joined the Colts or the Patriots and had success against the Titans either in divisional matchups or in the playoffs it would be an absolute gut punch to Mariota fans in Nashville.

Now, it could always go the other way and he could struggle in either one of those cities like he did towards the end of his Titans career. In that case, what a big win for all the people in Tennessee who didn’t want to keep him around even before the season.

However, it is interesting that the Patriots right now seem to be more interested in Marcus Mariota than they are in keeping Tom Brady.

That is something you can definitively say if you believe this rumor because the Patriots have yet to meet with Tom Brady’s agent despite his agent being at the NFL Combine:

Tom Brady’s agent, Don Yee, declined to comment on Brady’s negotiations during a brief chat with reporters this morning in Indy. — Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) February 27, 2020

I know that no one wants to talk about that, but maybe it is a big red flag that the New England Patriots don’t want to being back their hero despite being a team with $40+ million in cap space this year.

Just something to think about going forward.