Four Atlanta Falcons entering a make-or-break year in 2022

Marcus Mariota – Quarterback

It took a sudden trade of Matt Ryan by the Falcons for Marcus Mariota to find a new home where he has the chance to be the starting quarterback.

Mariota has spent the last two years as a backup to Derek Carr in Las Vegas, while he did get to play some situational snaps, there is no doubt he has been looking to be a starting quarterback in the NFL again.

Considering all of that it becomes obvious that Mariota is running out of opportunities to prove himself in the NFL. Not only that but the Falcons are almost using him as a stop-gap quarterback. They drafted Desmond Ridder and as long as Mariota does not absolutely tear it up this year, the team is going to want to see what they have in Ridder.

Sure, no one is going to complain if Mariota comes out guns blazing and guides the Falcons to the playoffs, but it is much more likely that he plays like an average NFL starter compared to playing like the best in the league.

This was Atlanta’s plan all along as they only signed Mariota to a two-year contract, which also has a ‘potential out’ after the first year.

It is going to take a lot for Marcus Mariota to keep a starting job for the long term and he perhaps is entering the biggest make-or-break season of any Falcons player.