Atlanta Falcons Bench Desmond Ridder, Ending Biggest Failure of Arthur Smith, Terry Fontenot Era
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot added just about everything this past offseason, spending $190 million along the way.
They completely revamped Atlanta's defense, brought in more playmakers offensively and strengthened seemingly every position.
Except quarterback.
Smith and Fontenot handed the keys to Desmond Ridder, who was named the starter at the NFL owners meeting in late March after a four-game audition to conclude the 2022 season.
Ridder, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while guiding Atlanta to a 2-2 record in his brief stint under center.
This was, evidently, all Smith and Fontenot needed to entrust their organization with a third-round signal caller.
Fast forward to Dec. 19, and the Falcons just benched Ridder for the second time this season, turning to veteran backup Taylor Heinicke for the final three games.
It's a desperation ploy with Atlanta watching its season slip away following two consecutive losses inside of the final minute.
In just two weeks, the Falcons went from sole possession of first place in the NFC South to having just an 11 percent chance of reaching the postseason, per the New York Times' Playoff Predictor.
Perhaps this situation could've been avoided had the Falcons given Ridder more than four games during his rookie season - of course, maybe he just wasn't ready, but if he wasn't a better option than Marcus Mariota by the season's second half, that alone should've sent warning sirens.
Or maybe resolution would've been found sooner had Smith not anointed Ridder his starter before any offseason activities began and then played him more than one singular drive this preseason.
Of course, the Falcons would've been better off had Ridder lived up to expectations, as they're saving significant financial capital starting a player on a third-round contract.
But they're also biting the bullet of the $190 million expensed elsewhere, all to sit at 6-8 with just a one-game improvement from last season.
Ridder had some highs, including three games over 300 yards passing while helping the Falcons become one of just three teams to eclipse 400 yards of offense in at least five games.
But ultimately, his lows became too much to overcome.
The 24-year-old Ridder had at least one turnover in nine of his 12 starts, including four games with multiple turnovers. He's lost six fumbles, which ties him with four teams and puts him ahead of eight others.
Oct 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) leaves the field after a victory against the Houston Texans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta's final straw with Ridder came in Sunday's 9-7 loss to the then-one-win Carolina Panthers, during which he threw a costly redzone interception in the fourth quarter that may turn out to be his final pass this season.
The Falcons needed to win that game. They're trying to make the playoffs for the first time in six years.
Conditions were poor, but Atlanta scored just one touchdown and couldn't avoid a critical error when needed most, turning Sunday into a complete disaster.
But there remain bigger problems.
Heinicke, who replaced Ridder in the second half of Week 8 due to concussion to protocol and then started the next two games, hasn't proven to be a much better alternative.
The 30-year-old Heinicke completed only 41 of 74 (55.4 percent) of his passes for 498 yards, three touchdowns and one interception across nine quarters of play.
And yet, it feels like Smith had no other option.
But don't get it twisted - this is a dilemma the Falcons put themselves in, and one they're ultimately paying for.
Smith and Fontenot took over in Jan. 2021 and have navigated three off-season's together. They'll enter their fourth still without an answer under center.
It takes more than a quarterback to win games, but Atlanta's compiled a roster capable of making the postseason and is well on its way to coming up short once again.
In essence, the Falcons invested in a shiny new Lamborghini but put in an engine from the 1950s and are left wondering why they can't go faster.
Now, Smith and Fontenot are left with a last-ditch effort to save face this season, all the while knowing they assured owner Arthur Blank that Ridder would be the franchise option moving forward just to bench him twice by mid-December.
Atlanta also has another interesting dilemma - what happens this offseason?
Neither Ridder nor Heinicke have done anything to suggest they're legitimate candidates to start next season, and third-string Logan Woodside isn't even in the mix to start with all of the struggles this year's provided.
The Falcons currently own the draft's No. 10 overall pick, likely out of range for the top three signal callers in USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels.
Could they trade up? Potentially ... but if Smith and Fontenot are both back, can they risk tying a win-or-go-home season to a rookie quarterback?
Then again, Smith may not get the chance to make that call.
And the root of his fate rests in his own handling of Ridder's career, from an overdue debut to a premature crowning and the mess of a season that's ensued.
