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Mariota is signing a two-year contract with the Falcons, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

The contract was announced about one hour after the Falcons reached an agreement to trade Matt Ryan to Indianapolis for a third-round pick. Mariota thus stands a good chance to be Atlanta's Week 1 starter, though it won't come as much of a surprise if the team adds rookie competition during the upcoming NFL Draft. The 28-year-old QB reunites with Falcons coach Arthur Smith, who was the TEs coach in Tennessee throughout most of Mariota's time there. Smith's first year as offensive coordinator was 2019, the season in which Mariota was benched for Ryan Tannehill after Week 6. After two years with the Raiders in a backup role, Mariota joins a rebuilding Atlanta team that doesn't offer much pass-catching talent beyond second-year tight end Kyle Pitts.

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