Falcons Cut Marcus Mariota As 1/3 Of Netflix's NFL QB Documentary Just Took A Hit

Marcus Mariota's time with the Atlanta Falcons is over after a single season.

The Falcons cut loose Mariota, who is the focus of an upcoming Netflix series. Mariota appeared in 13 games last season with the team. The move will save Atlanta $12 million against the cap.

Desmond Ridder, who is entering his second season, now sits alone at the top of the depth chart ahead of the draft. Ridder appeared in four games last season.

Marcus Mariota's career takes another turn.

Well, this is certainly a bit awkward for Mariota and Netflix. Just last week, it was announced the streaming giant was releasing a docu-series titled "Quarterback." It followed Mariota, Kirk Cousins and Patrick Mahomes this past season.

Now, 33.3% of the series is no longer employed in the NFL. Mariota is a free agent, which means there might have to be some quick edits ahead of the summer 2023 release.

Otherwise, it's not really going to do the situation justice. Or, perhaps Netflix knew this was going to happen and planned for it all along.

Marcus Mariota released by Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Will Mariota get another shot in the NFL?

It might seem hard to believe, but Marcus Mariota is only 29 years old. Does that shock you? It definitely seems a bit surprising because it feels like he's been around forever.

Ever since his time at Oregon, he's been a noteworthy figure in the football world and the dual-threat QB won the Heisman in 2014.

Will Marcus Mariota play again? (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Now, he's searching for his fourth team since being a first-round pick in 2015. Last season, Marcus Mariota threw 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions, completed 61.3% of his passes and totaled 2,219 yards.

Not great, not bad. He was the definition of mediocre, but his biggest problem was the fact the team just didn't win much with the Oregon legend under center. Atlanta went 5-8 with him running the offense.

TAMPA, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 09: Marcus Mariota #1 of the Atlanta Falcons walks off the field after the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

Having said that, it's hard to imagine this is the end of the road for Mariota. Again, he's just 29 and was by all accounts a great locker room and backup during his time with the Raiders. There's some dispute about how he handled losing his starting job in Atlanta. He'll almost certainly get another look as a backup somewhere. If not, he's earned more than $64.5 million in his career. Marcus Mariota should at least be fine financially no matter what happens.