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Matt Ryan became MVP and led the Falcons to the Super Bowl in 14 years in Atlanta, but the team turned the page on this chapter of their history by trading Ryan to Indianapolis this week.
They then signed a two-year contract with Marcus Mariota. Mariota has not been a starting quarterback since being replaced by Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee in 2019. Ryan stayed behind.
“Without a doubt, these are big shoes to fill out,” Mariota said on Friday. “I think I’ve definitely learned over the course of my career that you can’t compare yourself to other people. What Matt has done here, what he has achieved here, is truly great and I just need to forge my own path. I appreciate what he did, I appreciate what he was for this organization, and the best thing I can do is try to do my best and be the best player I can be.”
Tannehill ended up in Tennessee because he didn’t live up to the expectations of being drafted in the first round by the Dolphins and thrived with his new team. Mariot doing the same with the Falcons would make for a nice mirror image, even if he can’t reach the same heights as Ryan.