How Marcus Mariota Aided Falcons QB Desmond Ridder's 'Accelerated Growth'
For 13 games, the Atlanta Falcons rolled out Marcus Mariota as the starting quarterback while rookie third-round pick Desmond Ridder watched from the sidelines.
While Mariota's production ultimately wasn't enough to maintain the role, his leadership and work ethic off the field earned high levels of respect throughout the Falcons locker room.
Apart from his intangibles, Mariota offered an additional element of athleticism on the ground ... and gave Ridder more time to development. And while Mariota likely entered the season with an idea that he was a "bridge" quarterback designed to keep the seat warm, he was a joyous, willing mentor to Ridder throughout.
Equipped with eight years of experience and the expectation of being a franchise-changing player, Mariota had just the right background to aid Ridder's growth, even if the draft slot (No. 2 overall vs. No. 74) doesn't line up.
But if Ridder does become the new face of the franchise in Atlanta, Mariota's role in it shouldn't be overlooked. Serving as a model mentor, Mariota taught Ridder plenty of valuable lessons ... which the 23-year-old reflected on ahead of his professional debut in Sunday's road game against the New Orleans Saints.
"How to go about your daily business is obviously one of the most important things that he's taught me," Ridder said. "As far as routine, putting together a schedule, how he goes about learning the offense. It's all helped me prepare to be where I'm at today."
"Where (he's) at" is the starting quarterback for the Falcons, something he described as his "dream job." Still yet to play a regular season snap, Ridder's entering something of an unknown - but he overcame a similar issue to find his routine off the gridiron, thanks in part due to Mariota.
The idea of setting a schedule certainly isn't flashy, but it's a critical part of playing quarterback at the highest level. It's something Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who added that he's seen "accelerated growth" from Ridder over the last month, highlighted as an area of improvement throughout the season and believes that the process will be put to its biggest test yet this week.
"Every quarterback I've worked with is different," Smith began. "Obviously he's young and that's been a big part of his development behind the scenes is finding that routine. That's real - as long as this season is, to balance the way he prepares. There will be some more things that we do, but I've also got to make sure with Des, too, that he's got in week order."
The transition from college to the NFL is difficult on many accounts, but perhaps the biggest adjustment required comes from time management and responsibility. Ridder's acclimation process was made significantly easier by Mariota, who didn't have the same fortune of being able to sit and learn upon entering the league but has paid forward valuable information that could help brighten Atlanta's long-term future.
As for the Heisman Trophy winner, his season and career outlook has grown increasingly dim. After being informed of his benching last Thursday, Mariota decided to get a "chronic" knee injury checked out and is now set to get season-ending surgery next week.
But before he departed to see the doctors and spend more time with his wife and newborn child, Mariota made sure he saw Ridder and delivered one final piece of information.
"He just told me 'Best of luck,' that he's going to be there for me if I needed anything, and never be afraid to reach out," Ridder revealed.
For the most part, Mariota handled his role as bridge quarterback well, keeping the Falcons in the playoff hunt well into December and seemingly preparing Ridder as well as he could off the field.
And while the end of Mariota's bridge ultimately appears to be marked by orange cones and construction, he looks to have helped pave the way for shiny new roads ahead.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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