The Falcons cut Marcus Mariota on Tuesday to save $12 million in cap space. Getty Images Desmond Ridder took over as the Falcons' quarterback late in the season.

Five months into Mariota’s tenure as the Falcons’ new quarterback, it seems the root of the issue is this — Marcus Mariota might be the nicest player in the NFL.

When Marcus Mariota was signed by the Falcons ahead of the 2022 NFL season, it was presumed that it was his last chance to prove himself as a potential NFL starter. After spending the 2021 season ...

Marcus Mariota #1 of the Atlanta Falcons jogs with teammates during warm ups against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 10, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota runs against the San Francisco 49ers, Oct. 16, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) Mariota threw for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and 9 interceptions this ...

Daniels and Mariota grew close, with the star rookie explaining how important Mariota was to him last season. Meanwhile, ...

Marcus Mariota walks off the field after a Falcons’ loss to the Commanders on Nov. 27, 2022. Getty Images. The decision comes as the Falcons, despite a 5-8 record, are still in the playoff race ...

Marcus Mariota began his NFL journey with the Tennessee Titans after being drafted second overall in the 2015 NFL draft.

For 13 games, the Atlanta Falcons rolled out Marcus Mariota as the starting quarterback while rookie third-round pick Desmond Ridder watched from the sidelines.. While Mariota's production ...

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota was benched Thursday in favor of rookie Desmond Ridder, bringing his stint as starting quarterback to a close. However, the impact Mariota had on the ...

A backup the past two seasons with the Raiders, Marcus Mariota will get his chance to start for the Falcons, who open the season against the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz ...

On that front, Mariota has run the Falcons offense effectively. Atlanta has the ninth-best rate of zero or negative-yard plays in the league (31.6 percent). “I am not worried about statistics.