BREAKING: Falcons Cut Marcus Mariota; What's Next?

Marcus Mariota spent just one season with the Atlanta Falcons, but it wasn't enough to keep him among the starting quarterback ranks.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 28, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Marcus Mariota era in Atlanta is over.

According to ESPN, the Atlanta Falcons are cutting Mariota today, a move that saves them $12 million in cap space.

The Falcons signed Mariota to a two-year deal last offseason after coming up short in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes when he was traded to the Cleveland Browns.

Mariota was seen as only a temporary solution, especially after the team drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round of last year's draft. However, Mariota performed better than expected in his first starting opportunity since the 2019 season. He threw for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions, all while leading the Falcons to a 5-8 record in his starts.

Given the subpar quality of teams in the NFC South this season, the Falcons' 5-8 mark was still enough to keep them in the playoff race in mid-December. The decision to bench Mariota didn't sit well with him as he went on Injured Reserve with a knee injury that never seemed to pop up during the season, but he left the team to go have surgery.

Ridder took the reins as the new starter, throwing for 708 yards and two touchdowns in four games where the Falcons went 2-2. With Mariota officially gone, Ridder is the only legitimate option at quarterback currently on the roster. However, he'll likely have a new teammate alongside him either through free agency or the draft that will challenge him for the starting role.

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Published Feb 28, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.