The Atlanta Falcons traded longtime franchise quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday, just hours before the veteran was due a $7.5 million signing bonus. The deal wasn't a shocker, as the Falcons had been rumored to be ready to move on for some time now. Well, shortly after offloading Ryan to Indy, the Falcons replaced Ryan with a veteran free agent. The Falcons announced Monday that they signed former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota on a two-year contract.
We have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with QB Marcus Mariota.
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 21, 2022
The Falcons traded Ryan to the Colts in exchange for a third-round pick on Monday, leaving them with a QB vacancy for the first time since 2008, which they quickly filled with Mariota.
Mariota was most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders, serving as a capable backup to Derek Carr. Throughout his entire Raiders' tenure, Mariota threw 30 pass attempts, completing 18 for 230 yards and one touchdown. Landing in Atlanta will give him the opportunity to compete for a starting role, having not been a starter since his days with the Tennessee Titans.
Mariota was the No. 2 overall pick out of the University of Oregon in the 2015 NFL Draft, but never lived up to the hype in Tennessee. He spent five seasons with the Titans, going 29-32 as the starter and throwing 77 touchdown passes and 45 interceptions. He led the Titans to the playoffs in 2017, throwing 4 touchdowns and just 1 interception before being bounced in the Divisional Round.
The Falcons were expected to draft a quarterback in 2022, where they own the No. 8 overall pick. They've been linked with players such as Malik Willis, though it's unclear if the signing of Mariota will impact their decision to draft a young arm this season, in what is considered to be a weaker quarterback class than most.
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