We're just one day out of training camp, but the Atlanta Falcons have already named their starting quarterback.
Marcus Mariota will get the starting role over rookie Desmond Ridder, an unsurprising development given Atlanta signed Mariota shortly after trading Matt Ryan to the Colts and head coach Arthur Smith's familiarity with Mariota.
The Falcons may have drafted Ridder this year, but it was apparent they want to find their QB of the future in either Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud in next year's draft. But to do that, they'll very likely the first or second overall picks.
The Falcons, whose roster is a nearly consensus bottom three as a whole, have high hopes for 2021 breakout rookie Kyle Pitts. But otherwise they have a lot of holes to fill. To that end, the Falcons are employing the same strategy the Lions are with Jared Goff: Bidding their time with a serviceable quarterback who likely won't win them many games while trying to build a team and plug in QB last.
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What to expect from Marcus Mariota
Before backing up Derek Carr in Las Vegas, Mariota spent five seasons as the Titans starting quarterback. In 2019, he was replaced by Ryan Tannehill.
Mariota wasn't a prototype Lamar Jackson or anything of the sort in Tennessee. He never ran the ball more than 64 times in a season. What Smith was use a lot of play action, but Mariota didn't move outside of the pocket as much as one might expect.
The Titans weren't aggressive with Mariota. His average intended air yards sat at 7.5 in his last year as a starter, and he was the only quarterback with an intended air yards average under eight to also complete under 60 percent of his passes. In other words, accuracy can be an issue for him.
One of the biggest knocks against Mariota is his happy feet in the pocket. It can lead to him making throws flat-footed and missing some velocity. Mariota was at his best when he was improvising. Even if he was moving in the pocket, if he gave his feet something to do, that's when he was best able to make plays.
Expect more of the same in Smith's Falcons offense. Cordarrelle Patterson should continue to get a lot of run for the Falcons, and wide receivers Bryan Edwards, Drake London (rookie), and Olamide Zaccheaus will serve as complementary pieces to Pitts, who will demand most of the attention.
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Marcus Mariota career stats
In 74 career games, Mariota has thrown for just under 13,500 and 77 touchdowns. He's also rushed for over 1,500 yards and 13 more touchdowns, bringing his career total up to 90.
| Player | Completions | Attempts | Passing yards | Passing TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rushing TDs | Yards per carry |
| Marcus Mariota | 1,128 | 1,795 | 13,437 | 77 | 45 | 264 | 1,574 | 13 | 6 |
Mariota isn't a player who will turn the ball over often, but he also isn't going to hit a ton of home runs for who he's playing for.
On getting the starting job, Mariota said, per The Athletic:
It’s a great opportunity for me to prove to myself. I feel very comfortable. Being around [Smith] for all that time in Tennessee, I think that’s where it comes from. For the most part, I feel really comfortable and confident.
Regardless of how this season goes for the Falcons, winning the starting job gives Mariota a shot to prove he deserves a role somewhere, even if it's still as a backup. The second overall pick of the 2015 draft hasn't really found a place he could settle in, and he wasn't the answer for Tennessee. Perhaps he can be the answer for a Falcons team that had to scramble just to field a QB this year after the drama that cost them their franchise quarterback.
