The Atlanta Falcons pivoted quickly after falling short in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes. They traded veteran quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round draft pick and signed Las Vegas Raiders free agent quarterback Marcus Mariota to a two-year contract Monday.
Falcons sign QB Marcus Mariota after trading Matt Ryan
A former second overall pick out of Oregon, Mariota has been a quality backup since losing his starting job to Ryan Tannehill. He hasn’t started a game since 2019 and has thrown just 31 passes since that time.
After backing up Derek Carr in Las Vegas, Mariota could be the bridge starter this year. The Falcons are expected to draft a quarterback, perhaps Kenny Pickett (Pitt) or Malik Willis (Liberty).
Mariota has a career 62.8% completion rate and an 89.5 passer rating. He has familiarity with Falcons head coach Arthur Smith from their time in Tennessee.
The Falcons needed help. The other quarterback remaining on the roster is 2021 undrafted free agent Feleipe Franks.
