Falcons' Marcus Mariota 'absolutely' willing to mentor rookie QBs

Marcus Mariota is one veteran quarterback who "absolutely" believes in mentoring the next generation.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback made clear he wants to mentor rookie Desmond Ridder as he assumes the job of starter. Mariota argued that, to him, veteran quarterbacks mentoring rookies is the sign of a healthy quarterback room.

“I kind of always view that relationship in the quarterback room as important and special,” Mariota said, via Charles Odum of The Associated Press. “I always felt that a good quarterback room can allow everybody to be better and allow everybody to grow. … At the end of the day if they’ve got questions or I’ve got questions, they’re a great set of eyes for me as well.”

The topic of mentoring has been a notable one recently after Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill openly said he does not see it as part of his job to help guide a rookie backup. Mariota notably lost his starting job in Tennessee to Tannehill in 2019.

Mariota is slated to start for Atlanta in 2022. Ridder, a third-round pick out of Cincinnati, is much more of a developmental project for the Falcons.