The Falcons put a tremendous amount of faith in Desmond Ridder this offseason. They declined to enter the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes, and the team then doubled down by not going after any of the highly touted QB prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. Will their faith in the second year pro out of Cincinnati be rewarded down the line?
So far, things are not going very well for Ridder, nor the Falcons offense as a whole. The Falcons QB1 is averaging just 186 passing yards per game & 6.3 yards per attempt, as well as four sacks per game (16 total) in four games so far this season. The offensive unit ranks 25th in points per game (15.5), 24th in yards per game (284.3), & 32nd in passing yards per game (156.3). That’s just not good enough.
With all of that being said, it’s fair to wonder just how long of a leash the Falcons plan on giving Ridder to turn things around this season & in the distant future. Third round picks typically don’t get as many opportunities to prove themselves as first rounders do, and the team also signed former Commanders starter Taylor Heinicke, one of the best backup QBs in the league, to a 2-year, $14M deal this offseason. Let’s not forget that this is the same team that gave Marcus Mariota 13 starts last season.
My opinion is that Desmond Ridder has about six more games to prove himself. That would give him 14 career starts, which is a decent enough sample size for a QB. Not only that, but Taylor Heinicke would have an extra week of preparation to face the Saints at home in Week 12 if the team benches Ridder during their Week 11 bye.
I’m not saying that Ridder will be benched; however, things aren’t going well so far. The team has invested far too much in the offense, including $49,264,559 in the offensive line & three straight first round picks at the skill positions, for the unit to have their starting QB holding them back from reaching their full potential.
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