Titans' Mariota hopes to play in season finale

Marcus Mariota's rookie campaign may not be over after all.

A knee injury will keep the Tennessee Titans quarterback out of Sunday's game against the Houston Texans, but he's hoping to return for the regular-season finale on Jan. 3.

"The frustration of not being able to be out there with the guys bothers me more than what's going on with my knee," Mariota said Wednesday, via Jason Wolfe of the Tennessean.

Mariota said the MCL sprain in his right knee, which he sustained in the Titans' Week 15 loss to the New England Patriots, isn't as serious as the one in his left knee that caused him to miss two games.

Although it was a disappointing season for the Titans, the future appears bright for Mariota. He's completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 2,818 yards with 19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 91.5 passer rating.

He also became the first rookie in NFL history to have two games with four touchdown passes and no interceptions in a season.

"Going each and every single week against these NFL defenses, you learn a lot," Mariota said. "And the whole preparation throughout the week really teaches you a lot of different things, whether it's coverages or schemes. I've learned a lot in that aspect and I think I'll continue to learn even these last couple of weeks."