The Atlanta Falcons were a team many thought would look to make a change at the quarterback position this past offseason. Instead, they opted to stick with Desmond Ridder, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and bring in Taylor Heinicke to be his backup.
The results have been as disastrous as most people thought they would be. Ridder hasn’t been able to elevate his level of play to help the team win games and was benched once this season for Heinicke.
He got the starting job back after Heinicke suffered an injury, but a loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers in Week 15 has led to another change being made. Ridder is going to be benched for the second time this season and replaced by Heinicke for the Falcons’ Week 16 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
NFL News & Rumors: Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons Updates
A quarterback carousel is the last thing that head coach Arthur Smith wanted. But, that is the route that the team has gone down as they don’t have an option that has solidified their standing as the team’s starter.
“That’s usually not a great situation to have,” Smith said. “You want to be fair and objective and obviously give people an opportunity. It was a belief in him, no matter what happens. It doesn’t mean anybody’s career is over, but we have to do what’s best for this team right now.”
Ridder has been erratic with his performance this season and picked a bad time to have it happen again against the Panthers. While driving in the fourth quarter for a potential game-sealing score, Ridder threw an interception that put the wheels in motion for Carolina to win their second game of the season.
NFL News & Rumors: Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke, Arthur Smith, Atlanta Falcons Updates
It was the sixth red zone interception for Ridder in 2023, as he makes mistakes at critical times that cost the team. That leads the NFL and he has more turnovers with 10 interceptions and 11 total fumbles than scores this season.
The pieces are in place for the Falcons to have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. However, their inability to find consistent quarterback play has torpedoed any chance they had to succeed. Expect Atlanta to be in the market for a quarterback during the 2024 offseason as it is really the only thing missing for this group to find success.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
