South Fulton Today

Just hours after trading quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts this week, the Atlanta Falcons signed Marcus Mariota as his replacement, effectively reuniting him with Coach Arthur Smith in the process.

Mariota has been connected to the team for some time now, with Smith having acting as the quarterback's offensive coordinator in 2019 while the two were together with the Tennessee Titans.

"Art has been steady support since I've gotten into the league," Mariota told Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com when Smith was promoted in 2019, and quoted in a report on the Falcons' website this week. "It's been a true blessing to have gotten to know him and I'm excited to work with him. His ability to consistently get our guys prepared week in and week out has been impressive. I'm looking forward to working with him in his new role."

During his time as the starting quarterback for the Titans, Mariota threw for 12,000 yards and 69 touchdowns to go with a  63.2 completion percentage and 42 interceptions, the report said.

Over the last two seasons with the Raiders, Mariota played in 11 games, completing 30 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown.

As the quarterback reunites with his former offensive coordinator in Atlanta, the connection to Smith and understanding of his offensive system may give reason to speculate that Mariota will be the starter for the Falcons this upcoming season, the report said.