'When He Talks, You Listen!' Falcons QB Desmond Ridder Leads Atlanta's Next Wave
Leading into Desmond Ridder's third game as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback, coach Arthur Smith set a clear baseline for the season's final two games.
"Desmond needs to go in there, we need to go win a football game," Smith said. "(That's) important, especially if he's going to be the quarterback of the future."
Smith proceeded to outline several other boxes for Ridder to check in the following weeks, including situational football and putting more points on the board. Ridder had already proven himself in many areas through his first two starts, headlined by pocket presence, poise and command.
By in large, the two-game stretch would determine Ridder's immediate future in Atlanta - and the same for the Falcons' situation under center.
The result? A 2-0 finish that was evidently good enough to give the 23-year-old the right to show he can be Atlanta's long-term solution under center.
During his four-game tryout at season's end, Ridder completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards, two scores and no interceptions. In his first two starts, the Falcons scored just 27 points - which they nearly doubled in his last two, combining to hit 50 points.
Fellow rookies Tyler Allgeier (79 carries for 431 yards and two touchdowns and six receptions for 52 yards) and Drake London (25 receptions for 333 yards) saw their games reach new heights under Ridder's guide, helping break franchise records in the process.
This spring, the Falcons committed to Ridder privately before publicly, signing veteran signal caller Taylor Heinicke to be his backup and later showing his film to free agent defensive end Calais Campbell in a persuasive effort that ultimately worked out.
Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot left the door open for other options during their end-of-season press conference, but the odds of Ridder earning the starting nod seemed high a few weeks thereafter and only grew in the weeks leading up to free agency.
The Falcons officially named Ridder the starter at the league's annual owners meeting in late March, giving him the reigns prior to the beginning of offseason programs and letting him run the show.
Ridder is now a few months into that task and growing every day; London will note he's always been confident, but Smith and Allgeier believe there may even be a heightened sense of that knowing he has a year under his belt.
But whatever it may be - confidence, intangibles or passing abilities - Ridder has drawn considerable praise around the building this summer for his development and has fostered belief that a big second season is feasible.
"Just a great football player," receiver J.J. Arcega-Whitesaid said. "Great teammate, a great football player, natural born leader - everything that you want in a quarterback. And obviously, he can throw the ball too. So, I'm excited to see what he can do."
It's been a long road for Ridder to gather the respect of his professional teammates - but like his teams before the Falcons, it was only a matter of time.
The Kentucky Derby is a big deal in the Bluegrass State, where Ridder, a Louisville native, calls home; it's something he still takes pride in today, as he and his wife Claire showed up in style at this year's event.
But in 2016, there were bigger things on Ridder's mind than the first leg of horse racing's triple crown - the primary one being playing football beyond his high school career at St. Xavier, one of Kentucky's top programs.
So, the day before that year's derby, Ridder proved it in a life-changing showing in front of then-Cincinnati Bearcats offensive coordinator Zac Taylor, now the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ridder, whose only other offer was from Eastern Kentucky, impressed Taylor instantly with his competitiveness and leadership ... starting with the sheer quantity of pass catchers present at the workout to help their quarterback in front of Taylor.
“When I showed up at 6 in the morning to work out Des, he had about 8 to 10 receivers there that he got to show up at 6 in the morning,” Taylor said. “He ran all of the drills, he told them what routes - the coach didn’t have to say a word. I was just really impressed by his leadership skills.”
Taylor and the rest of the Bearcats' staff was let go prior to Ridder's arrival on campus, but the new coaches honored his scholarship, meaning the three-star recruit had to establish trust and connections while keeping the same message: to prove every other Division I school wrong.
The result was a special five-year career in which Ridder helped transform Cincinnati's program, leading the Bearcats to the College Football Playoffs in 2021, the first time a non-Power 5 school made the event. Oh, and along the way, that under-recruited Louisville native became the third-winningest quarterback in college football history.
But as he did with Taylor, Ridder's true impact came off the field, where the relationships and standard he built have lasted long after his departure.
Consider some of his closest friends at Cincinnati - tight ends and roommates Leonard Taylor and Josh Whyle and receiver Tre Tucker, each of whom spoke with SI's Falcon Report on the subject.
The trio knows Ridder more as a friend than a football player; Whyle and Ridder played golf together at Pelican Hill shortly after the season ended, while Taylor remained in touch during the pre-draft process and Tucker shared a Face Timed in late January.
Both tight ends harped on the "good times" with their best friends in college, long before bringing up the on-field aspect of what makes Ridder special. Tucker said, "that's my guy" and expressed his excitement for Ridder's starting opportunity, once more prior to bringing up on-field attributes.
Of note, all three players were interested in reuniting with Ridder at the professional level, as was fellow former Cincinnati receiver Tyler Scott.
It wasn't meant to be, as Whyle was drafted by the Tennessee Titans, Tucker by the Las Vegas Raiders and Scott by the Chicago Bears while Taylor signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars post-draft.
But the consensus from Ridder's former teammates remains strong - there's heavy belief that he'll succeed as a pro signal caller ... with his leadership once more a key talking point.
"Coming in as a freshman, he came into a leadership role, and I think that's probably one of the best leaders I've ever been around," Tucker said. "I think he's going to be fantastic for the Falcons next season."
Why?
"Because of how efficient and consistent he is," Taylor said. "How good of a leader he is, his mindset, where he comes from and his background story."
The idea of Ridder being a "natural born leader" has grown rapidly amongst his current teammates - it started with Allgeier, then spread to Arcega-Whiteside and ultimately tight end Jonnu Smith.
"For a younger guy, he has a great presence, being a natural leader," Smith said.
Leadership is a quality that's oft talked about but perhaps not appreciated enough in professional football - that is, for those who aren't teammates with the person who embodies it.
For Ridder, being a high-caliber leader is simply who he is and what he embodies ... and always has. Whether it be high school coaches or college teammates, leadership is often one of the first things that come up in discussions about him.
No, this doesn't mean he's all character and lacks physical talent - it simply expresses that he's astute at one of the most crucial things in regard to playing quarterback at the highest level.
Just ask Smith, who was acquired by the Falcons this offseason, making Atlanta his third home since entering the league in 2017. He’s caught passes from Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill with the Tennessee Titans, and Cam Newton and Mac Jones in his most recent stop as a member of the New England Patriots.
By now, Smith knows what works – what wins game, what doesn’t; what leads to productivity and big contracts, and what results in getting traded just halfway through a four-year deal.
Shortly after his trade was finalized, Smith spoke with the media and shared his excitement about getting to meet and work with Ridder this summer. The two have now spent several months together finetuning their chemistry and rapport.
Smith's biggest takeaway, not only of Ridder but throughout his entire NFL career, is that leadership matters ... and Ridder has it in bunches.
"When he talks, you listen," Smith said. "I've been around older quarterbacks, younger quarterbacks, and having leadership qualities is one of the most important traits you can have - probably, clearly the most important trait you should have as a quarterback, and he has that."
This goes beyond simply offering words of encouragement or leading by example. Once more, not to say Ridder doesn't do those things - he just does a whole lot more.
Consider during OTAs, when he pulled rookie running back Bijan Robinson to the side after a drill to tell him how to learn from and improve upon it moving forward.
Or, for instance, the command within the huddle and confidence he effuses to those around him on a snap-to-snap basis.
These are parts of quarterback play that aren't flashy but are requisite for professional success. The perception around Ridder follows a similar image - his raw tools, while certainly enough, may not be elite ... and that's fine, because he does so many other things at a high level and has the full trust and confidence of those around him.
"As an offensive lineman, communication is the biggest part," All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom said. "And so, as long as we're all on the same page, Desmond's communicating that. If something comes up, just the tone of voice, the command of that, he's really been great, and (I'm) appreciative as an offensive lineman, the way he goes into it."
Added Falcons vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith: "If you don’t have that neck up, it’s really hard. It’s really hard in this league, and he’s got it, neck up.”
Kyle Smith joined the list of people to single out leadership as Ridder's top trait - but not without bringing up his accuracy, arm strength and ability to move the pocket, a trend that Cincinnati corner Arquon Bush continued.
"He's going to get the ball there, he can fit it in tight windows, and he can move - he can hurt you with his feet," said Bush, who faced Ridder in practice across four years and is now with the Seattle Seahawks.
Smith added that Ridder, like everyone else, still has things to work on ... but the base of traits inspire confidence that he'll do exactly that.
Better yet, it's not just traits - it's actions. Ridder's organized players for throwing sessions dating back to last year; shortly after being the named the starter for his Week 15 debut, the 2022 third-round pick brought a group of pass catchers together to build chemistry during the bye week.
This spring, Ridder has been actively throwing in Atlanta and has been as familiar a face as any at team headquarters in Flowery Branch.
It's one of many reasons that Ridder has earned the reputation of being a tremendous leader - he's not all talk. In fact, he's far less talk and much more action, and his veteran teammates have noticed.
"He's been coming in here and working his butt off and just progressing each and every day, always looking to improve," Jonnu Smith said. "I've got nothing but good things to say about Desmond - great teammate, great guy, great player."
London echoed similar sentiments, dubbing Ridder a "complete quarterback" and repeatedly expressing confidence in his quarterback's ability to distribute the ball.
The confidence in Ridder carries to the offensive line, where Lindstrom, self-admittedly not a quarterback guru, believes Ridder is as good as it gets for what he knows works at the professional level.
"I don't know anything about quarterbacking," Lindstrom said, "but he does a really great job as a teammate, and you can't ask for anything better than what Des does."
It's a far cry from that late December press conference, where people within Atlanta's buildings didn't know if Ridder would see another regular snap after the following two games.
But really, it's the outcome those closest to him expected all along. Whether it be Taylor, who saw firsthand the intangibles needed to succeed in the NFL, or past teammates like Tucker, who bought into the leadership of a young signal caller much like Atlanta's roster has this summer.
Looking back, the faith that Cincinnati bestowed on Ridder, who ascended into the starting role in his second year on campus, largely paved the way for the future ahead of him in Atlanta - there's a franchise in need of transcending and a roster that will go to battle any day of the week for their quarterback, despite being a long way from the accolades that followed years later.
It wasn't always easy for Ridder, who had people calling for his job as a sophomore and had to win the starting gig once more the season after.
But that was just a bump in the road or a blimp on the radar, especially considering all it took to reach that point - just think about the one instance that Taylor oversaw on an early May morning before the biggest day in the state of the Kentucky.
History often tends to repeat itself, and it's probable that Ridder's first few years under center won't be all positive ... but among the many boxes he's checked for Smith and staff, resiliency and the ability to overcome obstacles certainly stand amongst the most important ones.
Better yet, Ridder has shown he's capable of leading teams to the promised land and doing what hasn't been done before - and there are plenty of parties, be it newly arriving teammates, college roommates, coaches or executives, who feel he has the qualities to do it all over again at the sport's highest level.
"We have a lot of confidence and belief in the person, the natural leadership and the competitor he is," Fontenot said. "He's a true winner. We have a lot of belief in him."
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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