Former Tennessee Titans OC interested in signing Marcus Mariota
The Atlanta Falcons are trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Accordingly, Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith and company are in the market for a new quarterback. Smith, a former offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, is now interested in a reunion with former Titans QB […]
The Atlanta Falcons are trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Accordingly, Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith and company are in the market for a new quarterback. Smith, a former offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, is now interested in a reunion with former Titans QB Marcus Mariota. Oh, how the gears of the NFL offseason churn.
Could the Falcons sign Marcus Mariota to be their starting QB?
The Titans moved on from Mariota for a plethora of reasons. The injuries mounted, and it just never seemed to work out. Regardless, Smith always had an affinity for Mariota's skill set in his offense. It makes plenty of sense, too. Mariota works well off of play action, and his mobility is just another plus for an offense. It was just a slow decline for him in Tennessee. Eventually, Ryan Tannehill became the clear better option for the team, and that was probably best for both sides. Moving on from Mariota is probably what helped Smith land the head coaching role in Atlanta in the first place.
The interest from Smith shouldn't shock anyone, though. He was the offensive coordinator for the Titans while Mariota was the QB there in 2019. His completion percentage took a hit during the games he played that season, but his biggest flaw was his reluctance to pass the ball down the field. That being said, that became more understandable as we learned more about his hand injury. He wasn't playing bad enough to lose games, but he also wasn't playing well enough to elevate the team.
Nearly three years later, he is undoubtedly more healthy than he was then. Although, the nerve damage that came with that hand injury may never allow his passing ability to be quite the same as it was before it. His dual-threat ability has never been doubted.
Regardless, it sounds like Arthur Smith is willing to bet on Mariota once again. Mariota may want to give it another shot in an offense he knows well and could have some success in next season as the starter for the Falcons.
Featured Image via USA TODAY-Sports
