After mass speculation from every corner of the national media, the Falcons do not seem interested in pursuing Lamar Jackson, or any other signal caller for that matter. Head coach Arthur Smith declared Desmond Ridder the starting quarterback, refusing to even comment about Jackson.
#Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Desmond Ridder is the starting quarterback. “We expect Desmond to take the next step,” Smith said. (He would not comment about Lamar Jackson. “We are going to talk about our own players,” Smith said) pic.twitter.com/9U483xb2qz
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) March 28, 2023
This isn’t really a surprise. Every member of the organization has voiced their support for Ridder. From Arthur Blank all the way down, the Falcons brass has basically said Desmond Ridder was the starter without saying he was the starter… until now.
Again though, it shouldn’t be a surprise. After all, the Falcons signed Taylor Heinicke, which many speculated would be competition for Desmond Ridder, but it shocked a lot of people when he said he was there to be Ridder’s backup. There were other signs as well.
As soon as the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, Diana Russini reported the Falcons wouldn’t be pursuing the 26-year-old MVP. It was almost simultaneous, which was peculiar.
It seems written in stone the organization is handing Desmond Ridder the keys after an encouraging four-game stretch to end the 2022 campaign. He struggled but showed poise and improved each outing. As a third-round rookie, that’s about as much as you should expect. Now, he’ll have an entire season to acclimate himself to the NFL and try to establish himself as the Falcons’ next franchise quarterback.
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Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
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