Marcus Mariota could soon replace Matt Ryan with Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are now in a full-scale rebuild after trading franchise quarterback Matt Ryan. Marcus Mariota time for the Dirty Birds?
It’s the end of an era for the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta has traded a team legend for the second consecutive offseason (Julio Jones in 2021), shipping off former franchise QB Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for the discount price of a third-round pick.
The time could be coming soon for a reunion between Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and former Tennessee Titans first-round pick Marcus Mariota.
Mariota and Smith worked together for a time in Tennessee, though things didn’t exactly end well for them there. The Titans decided to bench Mariota in the middle of the 2019 season before inserting Ryan Tannehill into the lineup and really improving as a team.
Mariota has been Derek Carr’s backup for the Raiders the past two seasons and has barely played at all, but he is one of the more intriguing reclamation project types on the 2022 free agent market.
Marcus Mariota could soon be the QB1 for the Atlanta Falcons
Now watch for Marcus Mariota to the #Falcons. Sources say Atlanta is expected to pursue a reunion with Mariota and Arthur Smith, who was with Mariota during his time with the #Titans.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 21, 2022
Ultimately, Mariota has been waiting for another opportunity to present itself where he could legitimately compete for a starting job somewhere else in the NFL.
That opportunity could soon be coming from the Atlanta Falcons.
Mariota was the second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft out of Oregon, and he had some pretty intriguing immediate success in the NFL. Injuries and inconsistent play caught up to him, and the Titans moved on.
Even with that being considered, Mariota still has very intriguing athleticism and overall talent at the quarterback position.
If Mitchell Trubisky can get another shot as some team’s potential starter in 2022, why not Marcus Mariota?
Again, the Atlanta Falcons appear to be in a full-scale rebuild. Matt Ryan was the face of the franchise for many years and they have now dismantled every trace of what Thomas Dimitroff had built into a contender just a handful of years ago.
Do the Falcons have someone in mind for the 2022 NFL Draft? That might be where things are headed with Matt Ryan now an Indianapolis Colt and Marcus Mariota potentially on his way in.