Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota is the only first-round draft pick yet to sign with his team. According to Surfing Magazine, the Hawaii native has not yet inked his contract in part due to a “no-surfing” clause the team is pushing for.
In professional sports, it is not unusual for a contract to contain a clause prohibiting a star athlete from partaking in other dangerous sports or activities.
For Mariota, surfing is in his blood. And while surfing is considered a national pastime in Hawaii, it is also a form of escape and mental relaxation. Some might wonder why the Titans would want to take this away from their future franchise quarterback. The likelihood here is that they are looking at surfing as something that could potentially injure the young quarterback.
Then there’s the flip side where NFL players such as Drew Brees hit the waters and surf when not suited up during the regular season. Nobody says anything about that.
Mariota and the Titans will have to come to terms eventually on this clause. Perhaps if Mariota gets the dollar figure he is reportedly looking for, it will be enough to stash that surfboard of his in the storage unit for the next four-plus years. Maybe the Titans reconsider and realize the benefits that surfing could have for the rookie signal caller.
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