How much longer will Marcus Mariota be a part of the Atlanta Falcons? After Head Coach Arthur Smith announced that the quarterback will only be on the bench for the time being, Mariota may be planning his escape from the Falcons.

Munich – Marcus Mariota’s time with the Atlanta Falcons appears to be over. According to reports, the quarterback has personally already finished with the team and may already be planning his escape from the Falcons.

The 29-year-old is said to have made this decision for himself after head coach Arthur Smith announced that Mariota will only sit on the bench in the coming games and rookie Desmond Ridder will take over the starting job with the Falcons.

According to The Athletic, two scenarios now open up again for the franchise to deal with the Mariota personnel issue: They could put the quarterback on the “Injured Reserve” list due to an alleged “chronic knee injury” or, for their part, release him outright – if the player himself doesn’t beat them to it with a run or a strike. Because Mariota voluntarily sitting on the bench doesn’t seem like an option in the current climate. Exactly how Atlanta as a club will ultimately decide is still completely unclear.

Uncertain future for Mariota

This also applies to the NFL future of Mariota. The latter signed a two-year deal in Atlanta last offseason after previously spending two years as a backup with the Las Vegas Raiders. Between 2015 and 2019, the Hawaiian played for the Tennessee Titans.

This season, the second overall pick of the 2015 draft threw for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also threw nine interceptions. He scored four touchdowns himself. I wonder if he’ll run away from Atlanta now, too.