We’ve said it probably a million times since the departure of Matt Ryan, and we will continue to say it until the problem is fixed. The Falcons will never be true contenders until the quarterback position is addressed properly, a subject that apparently came up quite a bit when they were interviewing candidates for their head coach vacancy.
Added that with every interview they had, each candidate stressed that the QB position is "something that needs work" in Atlanta.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) February 9, 2024
#Falcons owner Arthur Blank said of coaching candidates' view of the team's QBs: "didn't describe it as anything other than a position that needs work… and that's being kind."
— Joe Patrick (@japatrick200) February 9, 2024
“And that’s being kind” is a perfect description of the quarterback situation in Atlanta.
I can’t wrap my brain around how there are still a few fans that believe Arthur Smith was the catalyst to all of the Falcons problems, and that Desmond Ridder‘s career can be salvaged by a bright offensive mind like Zac Robinson.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Arthur Smith revived Ryan Tannehill‘s career in Tennessee, who has fallen off a cliff since Smith took the job as the head coach in Atlanta. Tannehill owes Smith a gift basket every time he sees him because Smith is the only reason he landed a lucrative contract extension.
Ridder, on the other hand, cost Smith his job, not the other way around. Leading the league in red zone turnovers isn’t the fault of the head coach. Ridder couldn’t help himself when it came to giving the ball away at crucial moments in the game. Smith does deserve a significant portion of the blame for ever trusting Ridder, which should serve as a lesson to Raheem Morris and Zac Robinson.
It will be a cold day in hell if the Falcons roll with Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback going into the 2024 season. There’s absolutely zero percent chance that happens, and it’s good to see every potential head coach candidate that stepped into the Falcons building this offseason recognize that. If they hadn’t, it wouldn’t be a good sign for their future success in this league.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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