The Atlanta Falcons took a major risk this offseason when they committed to Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback for the 2023 season. Ridder, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, started the final four games of his rookie season.
The Falcons went 2-2 in his four starts and his production was underwhelming. He averaged under 180 yards passing per game, but he did take care of the ball with zero interceptions. Alas, Ridder did enough that the franchise was comfortable sticking with him instead of pursuing other options, such as Lamar Jackson.
One person who has confidence in Ridder getting the job done is owner Arthur Blank. He is confident the Cincinnati product can get the job done and is looking forward to seeing him on the field this season.
“I like our young quarterback,” Blank said of Ridder. “People look at just the last four games last year and they say, well, based on those four games, but he really progressed from the time he came on campus here after he was drafted, had a good camp, and he’s been a strong leader since he’s shown up here. Continued to develop. Worked well with (Marcus) Mariota last year, learned a lot from Marcus. He’s a learner, and he’s got a lot of humility.
“As the year progressed, he had an opportunity to play, and I think he played at a very competitive level. Those last four games each game seemed to be a little bit better. So, we feel pretty strongly that he’s going to be our quarterback of the future. We’ve got to play games and we’ve got to see, but we feel good about him.”
There are certainly reasons for optimism as to why Ridder can succeed. The Falcons have surrounded him with some elite talent, using a top-10 pick on tight end Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson in consecutive years.
That trio should be able to produce some big numbers and help Ridder develop. Playing behind a very strong offensive line and the ingredients for success are in place. Blank is certainly looking forward to the 2023 season. He is optimistic about the direction the Falcons are heading, as they are in Year 3 of a three-year plan that Blank says has been laid out.
“This is the third year of a three-year plan, and I think what I see and what I like a lot is coach (Arthur) Smith and (general manager) Terry Fontenot laid out a very careful, thoughtful, kind of methodical plan of what they were going to do,” Blank said Tuesday. “I think we’re moving in the right direction. This year I expect our team to be even more competitive, if you will, with the emphasis on the defensive side of the ball during free agency. … I think we have as many offensive tools as probably most if any team in the NFL today. We’ve got a lot of talent. Obviously, (an) experienced offensive line that performed at a high level last year. … I like where we are.”
Given how wide open the NFC South is looking to be in 2023, why can’t the Falcons make a move to the top of the division? Last season’s winner, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, won the division with an 8-9 record.
The Falcons finished last season 7-10 but made some big improvements to their roster this offseason. If Ridder can continue developing upon the four starts that he had last season, Atlanta should be right in the thick of the playoff race in the NFC.
