It is the end of an era in Atlanta. The Falcons traded quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts this afternoon.
The No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Ryan was a stalwart over 14 seasons with the Falcons. Today’s move leaves Atlanta with a major void at the most important position.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, they have their sights set on a free agent target to replace Ryan: Marcus Mariota.
Mariota spent the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, serving as the backup to Derek Carr. Prior to that, he spent five seasons with the Tennessee Titans and was the team’s primary starter for four-and-a-half of them.
With Tennessee, Mariota worked with tight ends coach and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who is now the Falcons’ head coach.
Now watch for Marcus Mariota to the #Falcons. Sources say Atlanta is expected to pursue a reunion with Mariota and Arthur Smith, who was with Mariota during his time with the #Titans.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 21, 2022
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While Mariota has thrown only 30 passes over the last two years–and 28 of those attempts came in one game in 2020–he’s still only 28 years old. That’s young enough for the former No. 1 overall pick to realistically get one more opportunity to become an NFL starter.
Looks like the Falcons may be the team that will give him that chance.
The post Falcons Are Expected To Pursue Veteran Quarterback appeared first on The Spun.
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