Marcus Mariota welcomes birth of 1st child amid controversy about his status with the Atlanta Falcons
Marcus Mariota welcomed a new addition to his family last week. Mariota and his wife, Kiyomi, are the parents of their first child.
The news comes amid controversy for Mariota, who was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder last week.
According to theathletic.com, Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith informed Mariota on Thursday that he was being benched. Smith, who indicated that Mariota stepped away from the team the following day, said Monday that the quarterback was dealing with a “chronic” knee issue and wanted to get an evaluation.
Smith said the team “anticipates” placing Mariota on injured reserve, which would shelve him for the remainder of the regular season. A player who goes on injured reserve must sit out a minimum of four games and the Falcons have four games remaining in the regular season.
Smith indicated the knee issue wasn’t something that prevented Mariota from playing in the first 13 games.
“(The knee) is nothing that has been an issue this season, but that’s (Mariota’s) prerogative,” Smith told theathletic.com. “Of course, you want all your guys to be here, but guys have to make decisions.”
Smith told reporters Monday that Mariota wasn’t at the Falcons’ practice facility because of the birth of the child. However, after Smith’s comments regarding Mariota’s knee, there has been speculation that Mariota’s decision to step away from the team was not related to the birth of his child. The uncertainty led some fans and reporters wondering if he left the team because he had been demoted.
The Falcons reportedly don’t know when or if Mariota will return to the team. Mariota, who signed a two-year, $18.75 million deal in March, has not publicly commented. In the meantime, the team signed Logan Whiteside, a seventh-round draft pick in the 2018 NFL draft, to serve as the backup quarterback.
Ridder, the Falcons’ third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, hasn’t played in a regular season game. The Falcons (5-8) are one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) in the NFC South.
