The Atlanta Falcons are officially moving on from quarterback Marcus Mariota. The franchise release Mariotta on Tuesday, ending his stint with the organization after one year.
The move was widely expected, considering that Mariota left the team in Week 14 after being benched in favor of rookie Desmond Ridder.
Mariota joined the Falcons ahead of the 2022 NFL season following a stint as a backup with the Las Vegas Raiders. He was named Week 1 starter and went on to throw for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine picks. The former second-overall pick was moved to the bench after 13 games in which Atlanta went 5-8.
Despite an underwhelming campaign with the Falcons, Mariota is expected to draw interest from other teams as a backup. He has a 62.6 completion percentage, 15,656 passing yards, 92 TDs, and 54 interceptions since making his debut in NFL in 2015 with the Tennessee Titans.
Most people expect the Falcons to turn to Ridder as their QB for the next season, considering he played well during his four starts in 2022. However, head coach Arthur Smith says he is still undecided whether the sophomore signal-caller will get the gig in 2024.
“We’re not naming any starters right now,” Smith said while speaking with reporters earlier this week. “There are a lot of things that can happen. We’re very excited about Des, no different than we are about Tyler Allgeier and Drake London and the improvements they’ve made and guys who are currently on our roster. As always, all options are on the table.”
