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The Atlanta Falcons ushered in a new era when they traded longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts. Ryan had been the Falcons' starter since the moment he was drafted back in 2008. After dealing the former MVP, the Falcons went out and signed former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota to a two-year contract worth $18.7 million. Mariota will now have to replace a franchise favorite, a task he is well aware of, as reported by ESPN.
“Those are big shoes to fill, no doubt,” Mariota said Friday. “I think, for me, something I definitely learned over the course of my career is that you can't compare yourself to other people. What Matt did here, what he's accomplished here, is truly greatness, and for me, I just have to kind of carve my own path.”
Mariota knows that he has a tall task filling Matt Ryan's ‘big shoes.' After all, Ryan led the Falcons to a Super Bowl and six playoff appearances during his tenure with Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Mariota has struggled to make much of an impact since his breakout 2016 campaign, as he has compiled a 29-32 career record in seven seasons.
The former Tennessee Titans first-round pick offered some wise words, saying that he “can't compare himself to other people” and that he must “carve his own path.”
Comparisons to Ryan are likely to follow Mariota wherever he goes in Atlanta. However, he doesn't seem like he's going to be listening to any of the chatter.
Mariota will be focused on doing his own thing.
