Marcus Mariota arrives in Atlanta without the same high expectations he faced in Tennessee as the 2nd overall pick in 2015, but as he attempts to usher in a second arc of his career, many believe that he’s going to make the most of his new opportunity with the Falcons.
Former Tennessee Oiler/Titan Denard Walker joined 92.9 The Game over the weekend and shared his belief that the Oregon product will find his footing with the Falcons.
“Familiarity breeds success and I think Marcus is going to revitalize his career when he gets to Atlanta,” Walker, host of the BleavTitans podcast, told Chris Goforth.
Inconsistent play and injuries defined Mariota’s time with the Titans, and while he attributes a portion of that to the learning curve of the NFL, Walker noted that the coaching turnover in Tennessee hindered his development. In Tennessee, Mariota played under three different head coaches and four offensive coordinators—including Falcons head coach Arthur Smith.
Smith was the offensive coordinator in 2019 when Mariota was benched in favor of Ryan Tannehill. While things may not have ended well in Tennessee, Smith recently spoke of lessons learned for himself and Mariota, who has spent the past two years in a backup role with the Raiders.
Walker did acknowledge the laundry list of injuries Mariota suffered in Tennessee and said it’s up to the Falcons to build a strong offensive line in front of him.
“With Marcus, it’s about durability. Can he sustain it? Can he go through a season without getting hurt? If he can have the right offense line to protect him…I think you’re going to see a different Marcus Mariota in 2022,” Walker said answering his question.
In 2021, the Falcons' offensive line ranked 27th, according to PFF, and Matt Ryan was the 5th most sacked quarterback in the league. The Falcons didn’t sign any notable free agents along the offensive line but they could find some protection for their new quarterback in the draft with nine total picks.
Entering his 8th season in the NFL, Walker believes that Mariota is in his prime at 28-years-old and that his mobility is still his biggest strength. If the Falcons don’t see improvement along the line, that mobility will become a necessity.
Speaking with Dukes & Bell last week, Falcons owner Arthur Blank did express his desire to see the team add to the quarterback room—either in free agency or in the draft.
