Why Falcons Starting Desmond Ridder Is The Right Move
The wait is finally over, as the Atlanta Falcons have named rookie Desmond Ridder the starting quarterback moving forward, with incumbent Marcus Mariota moving to the backup role.
It marks the end of an unceremonious 13-game run for Mariota as Atlanta's starter under center, as the team went 5-8 and he finished with just three games of 200 or more yards passing. Mariota faced calls for his job throughout the season, none louder than the ones that came after the Falcons' 19-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday.
With the Falcons on their bye week, coach Arthur Smith and his staff was given time to review Mariota's full body of play - and after what Smith predicted would be "intense meetings," settled on Ridder.
And it was the correct conclusion to reach.
Even when Mariota's play was struggling around the season's midpoint, benching him while Atlanta continued to win games wasn't a very realistic scenario, which is ultimately why the former Heisman Trophy winner kept the position as long as he did.
But with the Falcons losing four of their last five and Mariota doing little to enhance the team's odds of winning, the premise surrounding his move to the bench had just as much to do with his performance as it did the long-term outlook for Atlanta's future.
The latter is where Ridder enters the picture. Taken No. 74 overall in April's draft, the former Cincinnati Bearcat impressed in the preseason with his ball placement and playmaking instincts but hasn't seen the field since.
Entering the season, few on the outside had high expectations for the Falcons, with NFL Network going as far as to predict a 2-15 record and the owners of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Naturally, few within the organization believed it to be that bad - but the primary takeaway from this season had to be understanding the future of the quarterback position, be it for better or worse.
Matt Ryan held down the role as face of the franchise for 14 years. Being "the guy" after him was always going to be difficult, and the draft class didn't have any clear options. Mariota's experience with Smith and ability to add an element as a runner made him a plausible bridge quarterback - and he did exactly that.
While frustrating at times and certainly leaving something to be desired at others, Mariota's stint accomplished exactly what it needed to ... and now it's Ridder's turn to follow through.
Mariota being the franchise quarterback would've been a welcomed development, but that was never the expectation, especially considering his $5 million contract for this year vs. $13 million next, making him an easy candidate to be released.
But Ridder, on the other hand, is thought to have a real chance to take the reins for the foreseeable future. There's not a great success rate on third-round quarterbacks, but it's also not unheard of - see the Denver Broncos' Russell Wilson, along with fourth-round pick Dak Prescott and sixth-rounder Tom Brady, among others.
These players are largely exceptions to the rule, not the expected result ... but Ridder's intriguing combination of physical traits and intangibles gives him a chance to add his name to the list.
For now, that's the hope - but going all-in on a quarterback drafted outside of the top-70 with no regular season experience wouldn't have been a smart business decision. Now, the Falcons get four games - two home, two road - to get a clearer picture of what Ridder's future may hold.
No matter the angle, be it team success over the final four games, Mariota's level of play, or the organization's future at the quarterback position, starting Ridder was not only the correct decision ... it was the only one.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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