Falcons QB Desmond Ridder Has 'Chip on His Shoulder' After Lamar Jackson Trade Rumors
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has a lot to prove in his second season.
While the organization that drafted him in the third round of last year's draft believes in him, there are still many doubters from outside the walls of the Falcons facility.
Many believe the Falcons should have made a big splash and traded for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the offseason, and some still think it would be wise for Atlanta to trade up from the No. 8 spot in next week's draft to take one of the top signal callers. Despite all of that, Atlanta wants to hold on to Ridder and give him a shot in 2023, but the Cincinnati Bearcat has heard the outside noise.
"I have a TV in my house," Ridder said via Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "Yeah, it puts a chip on my shoulder."
A third-round pick out of Cincinnati, Ridder was handed the keys to the Falcons offense in December after the team's bye week following a continuous string of lackluster performances from incumbent starter Marcus Mariota.
Ridder lost his first two starts, knocking the Falcons out of the playoff race, but in two games with the pressure drifting away, Ridder pulled together a pair of wins to end the season. Those wins were enough to give Ridder the keys to the offense for 2023, and he'll look to prove the Falcons right by sticking by him and his critics wrong this upcoming season.
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