The Atlanta Falcons released former Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota on Tuesday, ending his tenure with the squad after just one season.
Mariota signed with Atlanta last offseason, reuniting with former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith at Tennessee, who took the head coaching job with the Falcons.
The 29-year-old was starting for the first time since 2019 after spending a few years as a backup to Derek Carr in Las Vegas. He went 5-8 in 13 games before getting benched for rookie Desmond Ridder and finishing the year on the injured reserve with a knee injury.
All told, Mariota threw for 2,219 yards with 15 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a 61.3 % completion rate.
Falcons release QB Marcus Mariota. pic.twitter.com/aN3HZHHfcK
— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2023
Mariota will now look to catch on with his fourth NFL team this offseason, and quite frankly a starting job may be hard for the former Oregon star to find.
His best bet may be to secure a backup job with a team that has an oft-injured quarterback, which could afford him the opportunity to step in as needed during the regular season.
Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014 after throwing for 42 touchdowns and just four interceptions while leading the Ducks to a Rose Bowl victory over Florida State.
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