Matt Ryan is out.
Marcus Mariota could be in.
According to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, now that the Falcons have agreed to trade their longtime quarterback to the Colts, Atlanta is expected to pursue free-agent QB Marcus Mariota.
Should Mariota sign with the Falcons, that would reunite him with head coach Arthur Smith. Smith was with the Titans Mariota’s entire tenure with Tennessee, first as the tight ends coach and in 2019 as the team’s offensive coordinator.
Mariota has spent the last two seasons with the Raiders backing up Derek Carr. But Mariota has also dealt with several injuries. In 2020, he appeared in one game and completed 17-of-28 passes for 226 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He only attempted two passes in 2021, completing one of them for a 4-yard pass. But he also took 13 carries for 87 yards with a TD in the 2021 regular season.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2015 draft, Mariota compiled a 29-32 record as a starter with the Titans. He was benched in favor of Ryan Tannehill midway through the 2019 season and Tennessee advanced to the AFC Championship Game.
Mariota’s best season was in 2016, when he completed 61 percent of his passes for 3,426 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He rushed for 349 yards with two TDs that season.