Falcons QB Desmond Ridder Reveals 'Big Brother' Relationship with Marcus Mariota

Ridder and Mariota spent much of the offseason competing for the starting quarterback job.

The Atlanta Falcons had the quarterback position nailed down for 14 years with Matt Ryan at the helm.

However, after trading Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in March after a failed pursuit of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Falcons suddenly found themselves in uncharted waters.

Atlanta acted quickly, signing veteran signal caller Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal the day that Ryan was moved. With Mariota considered a bridge option, the Falcons further addressed the position by drafting Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder in the third round of April's draft.

Believed to be competing against each other throughout much of the offseason, it would've been simple - if not the easiest route - for Mariota and Ridder to develop a disliking for one another, but according to Ridder, their companionship embodies the exact opposite.

"We have a great relationship, he's like a big brother to me," Ridder said. "Any time I need something, whether that's at practice or whether that's off the field, he's right there for me to go ask him anything I need. I think he takes pride in seeing me go out there and do well, as well. It's a sense of pride for him being able to see that he's helped me get to where I'm at."

Where is Ridder at? After an electrifying preseason debut highlighted by a game-winning touchdown pass with 90 seconds to go, the 22-year-old's arrow is pointing up.

The third-winningest quarterback in college football history, Ridder arrived in Atlanta with higher-than-usual expectations for a third-round pick, largely fueled by positional value and the instant opportunity to compete for the starting job.

Ridder made headlines in the pre-draft process after a report emerged that he laid out a plan to unseat a veteran starter in training camp. 

With Mariota staring down a chance to reinvent himself and start for the first time since being benched in 2019, Ridder presented something of a roadblock, but the ego-less veteran did what he's always done: put the team first and do his best to help the young quarterback.

Mariota's "big brother" efforts haven't gone unnoticed by Ridder, who called the opportunity to be in a room with Mariota a "blessing."

"To have a guy like Marcus," Ridder began, "who's one of the most humble people I know, and for him to have all this experience in the league, and for him to be able to share it with me, and not hold anything back, and not care about the situation that we're in, it's just a humbling experience."

After Mariota's stellar preseason debut, the Falcons don't have much of a quarterback controversy for Week 1. However, with Ridder turning in an impressive performance in his own right, the team needing to figure out what they have in him before next offseason, and Mariota's contract having an easy out after the campaign, expect the focus to remain on the quarterback position for much of the year.

And yet, the added attention won't bother Mariota or Ridder. The two will continue to be themselves and do whatever it takes to help each other - and the team - succeed, much like brothers should do.