It was a franchise-shaking Monday afternoon for the Atlanta Falcons. Not long after the team said goodbye to longtime quarterback Matt Ryan, the Falcons found his replacement in QB Marcus Mariota.

First, it was the trade of veteran Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, in return for a third-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. The Colts will have Ryan under contract for two more seasons.

Just last week, the Falcons made trade overtures for the services of Texas QB Deshaun Watson. That didn’t work out, as Watson was dealt to the Cleveland Browns in a mega-deal. Monday’s trade of Ryan signaled the Falcons are in full rebuilding mode.

Part of Falcons’ owner Arthur Blank’s statement: “Matt Ryan has been the epitome of a franchise quarterback during his time here in Atlanta. He has represented this organization with great class, professionalism and leadership, both on and off the field, over the past 14 years. It is difficult to overstate what he has meant to me personally, our organization, his teammates and our fans.”

Ryan had been Atlanta’s QB since 2008. He’s the only Falcons player to ever win the NFL’s MVP award. Numerous Pro Bowl selections, and of course, led the Falcons to Super Bowl LI - the eventual loss there to the New England Patriots.

Now for Atlanta, moving on with Marcus Mariota. He’s a former number-two overall draft pick. The start of his career with the Tennessee Titans, where he worked with now-Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. The last two seasons, Mariota served as a backup with the Raiders.

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