Starting QB Marcus Mariota: Right Decision For Falcons?
There was expected to be at least a little bit of competition for the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback job in training camp this year, but that "controversy" ended before camp even began when Marcus Mariota was named the Week 1 starter after the first day of practice.
"Obviously, we've got a plan for each of them. Marcus is the starter," said Falcons quarterbacks coach Charles London after the first day of training camp, via The Athletic. "That's how we're going into this thing."
Mariota has been the clear option to start since the beginning of training camp and he's had the reps to prove it. It's been a while since Mariota got the lion's share of first-team reps at quarterback ... 2019 to be exact, while he was still the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans and now-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was his offensive coordinator.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to prove, not only to myself but to those who have believed in me,” Mariota said. “So, I’m excited."
The Falcons have shown their belief in Mariota. After striking out in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, Atlanta had a couple other options that might have made more sense at quarterback. Baker Mayfield and Jimmy Garoppolo were options in the free agent market and the team could have drafted a quarterback like Kenny Pickett or Malik Willis to truly challenge for the role.
The team also could have given third-round rookie Desmond Ridder a true chance to be the Week 1 starter, but the Falcons are opting for Mariota, who hasn't started a game since his days in Tennessee.
For the past two seasons, Mariota backed up Derek Carr with the Las Vegas Raiders ... an experience Mariota will draw back on as he returns to the starting QB club with the Falcons.
"The last couple of years was a great reset," Mariota said. "I learned a lot from Derek. I learned a lot from being there. I feel ready to go.”
Mariota has the most experience out of any quarterback currently on the roster, which makes him the likeliest quarterback to win the team's Week 1 contest against the New Orleans Saints.
However, should winning Week 1's game be the goal for the Falcons? Or should it be to develop the rookie Ridder?
Ridder was drafted in the third round of the draft with potential to be the team's franchise quarterback moving forward. It's been 10 years since a third-round pick won the starting quarterback job out of training camp, but Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks experienced a lot of success in the pacific northwest.
There's no guarantee Ridder's career will mirror Wilson's, but if it does, the Falcons should be thrilled. Wilson led the team to the playoffs in eight of the last 10 seasons and made two Super Bowl appearances with the Seahawks, winning one in 2013.
Developing Ridder this season will be key for the Falcons' future, especially if the team has a high pick in next year's draft, which is expected to feature several high-talent signal-callers in the first round.
The team needs to figure out what it has with Ridder before truly evaluating next year's prospects, which means the team needs to see as many reps as possible from the player it deems as its potential franchise quarterback.
