Matt Ryan won an MVP and took the Falcons to the Super Bowl over 14 years in Atlanta, but the team turned the page on that chapter of its history by trading Ryan to Indianapolis this week.
They followed up that move by signing Marcus Mariota to a two-year deal. Mariota has not been a starting quarterback since he was benched in favor of Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee in 2019 and he said on Friday that he will be focused on finding his own way to succeed with the Falcons rather than trying to follow in the exact footsteps that Ryan left behind.
“Those are big shoes to fill, no doubt,” Mariota said Friday. “I think, for me, something I definitely learned over the course of my career is that you can’t compare yourself to other people. What Matt did here, what he’s accomplished here, is truly greatness, and for me, I just have to kind of carve my own path. I appreciate what he’s done, appreciate what he’s been for this organization, and the best thing that I can do is try to put my best foot forward and be the best player that I can be.”
Tannehill wound up in Tennessee because he didn’t live up to the expectations that came with being a Dolphins first-round pick and he’s flourished with his new team. Mariota doing the same with the Falcons would make for a nice bit of mirror imagery even if he can’t reach the same heights that Ryan did.
