Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota has left the team. It officially doesn’t matter if he’s coming back.
Coach Arthur Smith told reporters on Wednesday that Mariota will have surgery next week on his injured knee, and that he’ll be placed on injured reserve, with Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
It’s unclear when the injury happened. Smith has described it as a “chronic” issue. However, Mariota has not appeared on any of the team’s injury reports, at all in 2022.
Technically, Mariota could return for the postseason. But if the Falcons qualify for the playoffs with rookie Desmond Ridder at the helm, they won’t be pivoting back to Mariota.