NFL Free Agency: 3 Destinations for Former Falcons QB Marcus Mariota - Cowboys?

After losing the Atlanta Falcons' starting job last season, the organization released Marcus Mariota Tuesday morning. Where will he end up next?

Last offseason, the Atlanta Falcons signed Marcus Mariota with hopes he might become their franchise quarterback. Just one year later, they’ve chosen to abandon that experiment putting him back on the market for a new team to either challenge for a starting role or reprise his role as a veteran backup.

During his 13 starts in 2022, Mariota had a 61.3 completion percentage while throwing for 2,219 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions with an 88.2 quarterback ranking. Although it ultimately wasn’t enough to hold off rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder who would end the year as Atlanta’s QB1, Mariota should have multiple suitors for his services next season. 

Dallas Cowboys

Incumbent Cowboys starter Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million extension back in 2021 and will hold a cap hit of $49.1 million against the Cowboys in 2023. So he’s solidified as the team's starter heading into next season. However, it's no secret that last season Prescott disappointed fans and ultimately cost the Cowboys some games.

Following Prescott’s hand injury in Week 1, Cooper Rush took over at QB for the Cowboys, and the team went on to win the next four consecutive games. During his playing time last season, Rush threw for 1,051 passing yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions while posting an 80.0 quarterback rating, leading to many fans clamoring for him to start over Prescott.

Flash forward to this offseason, and both Mariota and Rush are unrestricted free agents that are 29 years old. They also posted the same exact Touchdown to interception ratio, though Mariota had a better QBR, is more athletic outside of the pocket, and has more starting experience. Expect Dallas to make a push to sign Mariota as their backup quarterback, with the potential to start if Prescott follows up last season with more lackluster performances.

Green Bay Packers

As with every offseason in the past few years, the quarterback situation in Green Bay is unclear surrounding three-time MVP Aaron Rodgers. 

Rodgers has been named the league's MVP in two out of the past three seasons, but following a down year for the entire organization in 2022 and flashes of potential from backup quarterback Jordan Love, whom the organization traded up to select in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, it seems as though the veterans time playing at Lambeau Field may finally be up.

Assuming that the organization opts to move forward with Love as its starter in 2023, Mariota would make sense as a veteran presence to back him up. Before accepting the Packers head coach position, Mike LaFleur was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, where he coached Mariota. Given the familiarity between LaFleur and Mariota, don't be surprised if the former Falcons starter finds himself in Green Bay next season.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are the reigning Super Bowl champions and have arguably the most talented quarterback of all time starting for them in Patrick Mahomes, having won multiple rings and MVP trophies at the young age of 27.

Despite all of this, they still have a need at quarterback. Following their Super Bowl victory, backup quarterback Chad Henne announced his retirement leaving a hole on their roster. During Henne’s tenure with the Chiefs, there were multiple times in the playoffs when he had to fill in for Mahomes due to injury woes and has kept the ship afloat, including this past season's postseason run in which the league MVP was dealing with a high ankle sprain against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Considering the fact that Mariota is a veteran with playoff and regular season starting experience, it’s likely that the Chiefs' head coach would trust him to fill in for Mahomes in dire circumstances more so than, say, a rookie or most other veterans on the market.

If Mariota embraces a backup role as he did during his stint with the Raiders as Derek Carr’s backup, it’s foreseeable that by next offseason, he could find himself wearing a ring after being Kansas City's veteran backup quarterback.  

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You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Twitter and Instagram @IsaiahDDelgado.

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