The Atlanta Falcons’ veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota didn’t take well the team’s decision to bench him in favor of rookie Desmond Ridder. According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Mariota has informed the Falcons he’ll take a leave of absence, and the team is unsure whether he’ll play for them again.
Mariota reportedly told the Falcons that he has knee issues and intends to have surgery. As a result, the Falcons placed him on injured reserve, although head coach Arthur Smith made it clear he doesn’t think this is the real reason why the veteran stepped away.
“Of course, you want all your guys to be here, but guys have to make decisions. It’s part of professional sports. You have to have contingency plans,” Smith told reporters.
The Falcons lost four out of their last five games but still remain in the hunt for a playoff spot in NFC. By turning to Ridder, they will either boost a stale offense or at least see what they have in the rookie signal-caller.
The plan was for Mariota to be a backup moving forward, but apparently, that doesn’t seem to be something the 29-year-old player is willing to do. The most likely scenario now is that Mariota gets cut at some point until the end of the season.
Marcus Mariota signed a two-year, $18.75 million deal with the Falcons in the offseason. He went 5-8 as a starter in 2022, throwing for 2,219 yards, 15 TDs, and nine picks.
