Marcus Mariota: 'Absolutely' Mentoring Desmond Ridder

The two quarterbacks are battling to start Week One for the Atlanta Falcons.

© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

CINCINNATI — Starter/backup relationships can be hairy for NFL quarterbacks, but Atlanta Falcons passer Marcus Mariota isn't ready to spark a rivalry with Desmond Ridder. Mariota spoke to reporters this week about how he's approaching the situation with welcoming arms.

“Absolutely,” Mariota said about mentoring Ridder. “I kind of always view that relationship in the quarterback room as important and special. I always felt that a good quarterback room can allow everybody to be better and allow everybody to grow. … At the end of the day, if they’ve got questions or I’ve got questions, they’re a great set of eyes for me as well.”

The former No. 2 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft saw his career take a turn in 2019 when the Tennessee Titans traded for current starter Ryan Tannehill. Mariota got replaced by the old Miami Dolphins QB after seven games and has played in just 11 games since with zero starts.

At this point, Mariota is trying to do everything he can to stay in the league and be a positive force in the locker room. A completely different scenario from the one Tannehill ironically also faces now with the Titans bringing in Malik Willis to be a developmental asset.

“He has done it,” Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London said Mariota already mentoring Ridder. “It’s just the type of guy Marcus is. He’s a great teammate. He’s going to do whatever he can to help the team and guys follow suit.”

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