Atlanta Falcons QB Decision 'Not Final' as Arthur Smith Weighs Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke
The Atlanta Falcons are left pondering a decision at quarterback in the aftermath of Sunday's 9-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Falcons coach Arthur Smith announced in his press conference Monday that an official determination between incumbent starting signal caller Desmond Ridder and backup Taylor Heinicke hasn't been reached yet.
"Not final, but obviously still working through that," Smith said. "Just met with the quarterbacks a minute ago before coming in here, and I'll circle back with those guys because there's some stuff we need to still work through."
Smith confirmed the decision will come down to Ridder and Heinicke, as third-string quarterback Logan Woodside isn't in the mix and the Falcons won't bring in an outside option.
Ridder completed 12 of 20 passes for 152 yards and one touchdown Sunday but threw an interception in the redzone halfway through the fourth quarter that ultimately proved critical in Atlanta's loss to the two-win Panthers.
The 30-year-old Heinicke, who took over in the second half of Week 8 after Ridder entered concussion protocol and started the next two games, has completed 41 of 74 (55.4 percent) of his attempts for 498 yards, three touchdowns and an interception this season.
Atlanta lost each of Heinicke's starts, which came against the now-7-7 Minnesota Vikings and now-4-10 Arizona Cardinals.
"You've got to evaluate everything as you're going through the film," Smith said. "There's a lot that goes into it. Working through it and we ultimately got to make the best decision for this team so we can go win this game Sunday."
Atlanta Falcons quarterbacks Desmond Ridder (9) and Taylor Heinicke (4) in pregame warmups.
USA Today Sports
The Falcons find themselves in a precarious position, having lost back-to-back games inside of the final minute and going from sole possession of first place in the NFC South to a full game behind with three weeks to play.
Questions have emerged surrounding Smith's job status for next season, with reports indicating a late-season collapse may ultimately lead to his ousting.
As losers of two straight with the season trending in the wrong direction, Smith's left searching for answers - and he's hoping Heinicke can provide them.
The Falcons (6-8) will host the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) at 1 p.m. EST Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
