The Atlanta Falcons are making a major change to their lineup in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings. Desmond Ridder will not be the starting quarterback, as he will be replaced by Taylor Heinicke under center.
Head coach Arthur Smith would not commit to either player beyond this week, only saying that it will be Heinicke starting. Ridder will be taking over as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart in a move that has been a long time coming.
In their Week 8 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Ridder was taken out of the game and evaluated for a concussion. Despite being cleared to return, it was Heinicke who led the team in the second half.
After the game, Heinicke said the team was still Ridder’s to lead, but the coaching staff had a change of heart and he will be taking over for at least Week 9. In relief last week, Heinicke completed 12-of-21 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown, adding 14 rushing yards.
The Falcons offense has been inconsistent throughout the season with Ridder at the helm. He has completed 65.4 percent of his passes for 1,701 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions.
According to a former NFL executive who spoke to NFL Analysis Network, this change is likely more permanent than Smith and the Falcons are letting on. The executive believes that the team will be looking to move on from Ridder this offseason.
“I’ve heard some rumblings in Atlanta that Arthur Smith has never been a big fan of Desmond Ridder. And I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think they’ll look to move him in the offseason.”
If the Falcons do look to move on from Ridder, it will be interesting to see what kind of compensation they can get in return. With two seasons remaining on his rookie contract, there are certainly teams who would take a chance on him and at the very least use him as their backup quarterback.
A quarterback was the Falcons’ biggest need during the 2023 offseason and could very well be so again in 2024. It will be interesting to see what route they take to find an upgrade, as they likely won’t be picking high enough in the draft to select a top prospect. A trade for Kyler Murray or Justin Fields could be their best course of action.
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