Falcons QB Marcus Mariota has left the building(leaves team after being benched)

[Matt_In_NH]

Unless there are extenuating circumstances this is a poor decision on his part.

[DrDawkinstein]

1 minute ago, Matt_In_NH said:

Unless there are extenuating circumstances this is a poor decision on his part.

 

Why?

 

Career earnings of $76.5M. He's playing journeyman vet duties to help bridge a team. Wife has a new baby, and you're told you're benched. I'd probably stay home with the family too.

[Charles Romes]

By eking out a division title with a losing record they move down from about 9 to about 24 in the draft. The tanking stakes are quite high. 

[foreboding]

3 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

He was a last hope mercenary as it was, and never really a "Falcon" at heart. Not a great look, but also not too shocked considering the state of that team in general.

 

It's an obvious tanking move, and telling Mariota that he is playing too good and the team is winning too much. Heck, he has them 1 game out of 1st place in the Division, and theyre going to pull the plug NOW? I can see how that would offend him with all the work and effort he put in. Why bother sticking around if management wants to actively lose the last 4 games?

 

Again, not a great look, but I give players on tanking teams a lot of leeway. It has to be tough.

Yeah, but backup qb in the nfl is a nice gig that pays handsomely. Terrible move by MM.

[Dr. Who]

3 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

He was a last hope mercenary as it was, and never really a "Falcon" at heart. Not a great look, but also not too shocked considering the state of that team in general.

 

It's an obvious tanking move, and telling Mariota that he is playing too good and the team is winning too much. Heck, he has them 1 game out of 1st place in the Division, and theyre going to pull the plug NOW? I can see how that would offend him with all the work and effort he put in. Why bother sticking around if management wants to actively lose the last 4 games?

 

Again, not a great look, but I give players on tanking teams a lot of leeway. It has to be tough.

Not sure exactly what is going on with Mariota, but I live in Georgia and thus occasionally find myself watching the Falcons -- I dunno, maybe I have a masochistic streak. Imo, this is not a tank move. The Falcons at 5 -8 are only one game out of first in the worst division in football. Mariotta is a barely competent backup. I think they want to give Ridder a shot the way Tomlin decided to give Pickett a shot.

2 hours ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

 

Did anyone read the article and not just the clickbait tweet? 

 

He wasn't in the building b/c his wife went into labor. He's not immediately coming back because he has a knee injury and going to IR. 

 

Last week, Smith addressed the press and gave a preview of the looming decision to make a change at quarterback.

“We will have some very intense meetings in the next couple of days. Obviously, I know where we’re at. We understand, too, that we’ve been in some close games lately and we need to get back over the hump,” Smith said. "There will be changes made. Everything that we decide to do I will be as transparent as possible.”

 

That day, Smith also informed the press that Mariota wasn’t in the building because his wife went into labor with their first child.

 

Smith added on Monday that Mariota was also likely to be placed on injured reserve with what Smith described as a “chronic” knee injury.

Thanks for the context. That makes a difference.

[DrDawkinstein]

9 minutes ago, foreboding said:

Yeah, but backup qb in the nfl is a nice gig that pays handsomely. Terrible move by MM.

 

No one is more aware than MM who has already made $76.5M. It's not like he needs the job.

 

edit: I misread and his career earnings are really $64.5 to date. But I dont think that changes much. Still enough to scrape by on for the rest of his life.

Edited December 13, 2022 by DrDawkinstein

[co_springs_billsfan]

2 hours ago, DabillsDaBillsDaBills said:

 

Did anyone read the article and not just the clickbait tweet? 

 

He wasn't in the building b/c his wife went into labor. He's not immediately coming back because he has a knee injury and going to IR. 

 

Last week, Smith addressed the press and gave a preview of the looming decision to make a change at quarterback.

“We will have some very intense meetings in the next couple of days. Obviously, I know where we’re at. We understand, too, that we’ve been in some close games lately and we need to get back over the hump,” Smith said. "There will be changes made. Everything that we decide to do I will be as transparent as possible.”

 

That day, Smith also informed the press that Mariota wasn’t in the building because his wife went into labor with their first child.

 

Smith added on Monday that Mariota was also likely to be placed on injured reserve with what Smith described as a “chronic” knee injury.

This is no fun.

 

I prefer to think he told his agent he was entering the transfer portal.

 

[JaBu]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Yea agreed. Does seem out of character for him. When the Titans benched him there was a lot about how he took it like a pro then he was a backup for a year in Vegas without any issues. Wonder if it is just VERY obvious to everyone that Ridder is not good. If that is the case this is a risk for Arthur Smith because he is about to hit the end of year 2 and that team is going nowhere. If he benches a better player when only two games out of 1st for a sucky kid then that locker room will get toxic fast. 

 

Arthur Smith made it a point to say that Mariota's benching was "performance based" and not because he was likely going on IR. This isn't a tank job. Ridder looked good in the pre season games I saw; better than Mariota to me, who was generally seen as "a placeholder" here.  Further, Josh earlier this year said he was impressed by Ridder, who was out training with him at Palmer's place in CA. The Falcons are generally devoid of talent and not going very far unless Ridder is a miracle maker. I think the locker room will perceive the move as a positive.

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by JaBu

[Rico]

Complete trash, that’s what the Falcons get for starting this scrub.

[1st&ten]

3 hours ago, BillsNutHawaii said:

You got it!  It's another reason why I truly appreciate my annual return visit to Western NY. 

 

Long story short,  I am "forced" to live out here in Hawaii.  In summary, I got a native girl pregnant, (While assigned out here with the US Army), had the child, and per custody arrangement, cant move to another state, (Unless I want to leave him behind - not happening!).  He's almost age 14, so I am almost free.  And best of all, son is a Bills fan and seems to truly love Western NY - especially the great people at the "Miss Batavia Diner!  He's been to a game the last 2 years.  Anyway, that's my story.

Love Batavia, several of my college friends were from there, went there to party a few times.

 

[Saxum]

4 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

He was a last hope mercenary as it was, and never really a "Falcon" at heart. Not a great look, but also not too shocked considering the state of that team in general.

 

It's an obvious tanking move, and telling Mariota that he is playing too good and the team is winning too much. Heck, he has them 1 game out of 1st place in the Division, and theyre going to pull the plug NOW? I can see how that would offend him with all the work and effort he put in. Why bother sticking around if management wants to actively lose the last 4 games?

 

Again, not a great look, but I give players on tanking teams a lot of leeway. It has to be tough.

 

I believe he thinks this is personal with Smith but he is head coach so no one to appeal to.

If teams believes he was benched to tank we will see how some veterans react.

[Matt_In_NH]

1 hour ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

Why?

 

Career earnings of $76.5M. He's playing journeyman vet duties to help bridge a team. Wife has a new baby, and you're told you're benched. I'd probably stay home with the family too.

The money he has earned should not factor in.   We won’t agree on this.  

[BullBuchanan]

3 hours ago, Paup 1995MVP said:

Who the hell is Marcus Mariota. 

I think he's a heisman trophy winner who was drafted #1 overall and currently has the 150th most passing yards in NFL history.

[RobbRiddicksTDLeap]

5 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

He was a last hope mercenary as it was, and never really a "Falcon" at heart. Not a great look, but also not too shocked considering the state of that team in general.

 

It's an obvious tanking move, and telling Mariota that he is playing too good and the team is winning too much. Heck, he has them 1 game out of 1st place in the Division, and theyre going to pull the plug NOW? I can see how that would offend him with all the work and effort he put in. Why bother sticking around if management wants to actively lose the last 4 games?

 

Again, not a great look, but I give players on tanking teams a lot of leeway. It has to be tough.

They’re PROFESSIONALS. Money is on the line everyday for them. Pride comes second. He’s got more than enough money, but when you take what he has done with this garbage team and tell him you’re going with the rookie, you can’t expect him to take that on the chin and pickup the clipboard. 
 

Steve Wilks has it right when he criticized the Ownership of the Panthers. And someone should criticize Arthur Blank. The fact that they are in any position at all to challenge for that dumpster fire of a division, is a Miracle on Ice. 
 

I don’t approve of the walking out without notice, but, as a human I can’t blame Marriotta.

[ALLEN1QB]

Take This Job and Shove it........

[The Frankish Reich]

8 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

It's an obvious tanking move, and telling Mariota that he is playing too good and the team is winning too much. Heck, he has them 1 game out of 1st place in the Division, and theyre going to pull the plug NOW?

Remember when McD benched Tyrod in favor of Nathan Peterman when we were in the middle of the playoff hunt? 

[DrDawkinstein]

58 minutes ago, The Frankish Reich said:

Remember when McD benched Tyrod in favor of Nathan Peterman when we were in the middle of the playoff hunt? 

 

Such a great, but perfectly Billsy, season. The one year we're not trying to win so we can grab a QB next year, and we break the drought and make the playoffs. 🤣

[Fan in Chicago]

9 hours ago, BillsNutHawaii said:

Does this mean I no longer have to watch:

- ).

 

Truly nauseating! 

Don't celebrate too soon. MM will be replaced by Tua in those commercials😃

 

[DCofNC]

5 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

I think he's a heisman trophy winner who was drafted #1 overall and currently has the 150th most passing yards in NFL history.

I think you need to check your facts before you have crab legs stolen out of your freezer.

[The Jokeman]

18 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

I think he's a heisman trophy winner who was drafted #1 overall and currently has the 150th most passing yards in NFL history.

2nd overall, Jameis was drafted ahead of him.