"I can remember times ... where I was like, I don't even want to get out of bed," Mariota said recently. "I was like, 'I don't want to play.' I was so nervous and worried about how I was going to do that it just, like, almost freezes you. And being able to communicate that to people - I think it's kind of hard because some people don't really know how to relate to that and don't know how to talk about it."
Smith saw the strain. They had known each other for years - Smith was an assistant tight ends coach in Tennessee when Mariota arrived - and Smith knew Mariota's intelligence, while invaluable on the field, could lead him to overthink. The Falcons had reached the bye at 5-8 and were long shots for the playoffs, so they wanted to see third-round rookie Desmond Ridder play QB to help plan for the offseason.
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