Falcons to Release QB Marcus Mariota? Cap Space Implications

How would releasing quarterback Marcus Mariota impact the Atlanta Falcons' salary cap situation this offseason?

After starting this season's first 13 games, Marcus Mariota saw his tenure as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback come to a premature end.

Mariota, 29, was benched for the remainder of the year in favor of rookie Desmond Ridder, completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns while tossing nine interceptions. The former Heisman Trophy winner added 85 rushes for 438 yards and four touchdowns.

Mariota left the team after his benching, opting to undergo surgery on a lingering lower body injury and then spending his free time with he and his wife's newborn baby, their first child.

As a result of the on-field product and muddy ending, Mariota's time in Atlanta certainly seems short-lived.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith said they have a "pretty good idea" how the situation will play out and general manager Terry Fontenot stated that there are only "two quarterbacks on the roster" in Ridder and backup Logan Woodside.

So, how would releasing Mariota impact Atlanta's cap space?

Should the two sides part ways, the Falcons will create $12 million in savings and incur only $2.5 million in dead money, according to Over The Cap.

Perhaps most important is that the numbers work the same regardless of whether or not it's before or after June 1, thus giving Atlanta the ability to move on from Mariota at the start of the league year on March 15 and gain immediate cap benefits.

Mariota currently has the third-highest projected cap hit on the Falcons roster at $14.5 million, trailing only left tackle Jake Matthews ($28.3 million) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett ($20.6 million).

As things stand, the Falcons have the second-most cap space in the NFL with $56 million, so releasing Mariota would increase that number to $68 million come March 15.

Regardless, the Falcons are set to have plenty of money to spend - and if the inevitable happens in releasing Mariota, they'll increase that already large number by over 20 percent ... setting the stage for an eventful (and expensive) offseason.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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