Who is the Atlanta Falcons week one quarterback?

In an attempt to replace Atlanta Falcons icon Matt Ryan Atlanta signed Marcus Mariota and drafted Desmond Ridder this off-season. This sets up what should be an interesting pre-season for a team with a potential quarterback battle brewing. This leaves the obvious question for Atlanta who will be the starter in week one for the Falcons?

Regardless of the pre-season, Desmond Ridder puts together if healthy Marcus Mariota will likely be the week one starter for Atlanta. Ridder deserves a chance to win the job and should be inserted as quickly as possible to evaluate. However, with Arthur Smith’s approach this off-season it seems likely the team will roll with their veterans early on and attempt to win.

When the team does inevitably struggle Ridder will be given a chance and Mariota will be benched. Starting the season against a tough Saints defense in week one Atlanta couldn’t be faulted for going with the veteran Mariota giving Ridder plenty of time to learn the offense.

If Mariota does start the season the schedule lays out perfectly for Ridder to spend seven weeks learning the offense behind the veteran. In week eight the Falcons have a home game against the Panthers followed by a home game against the Chargers.

Atlanta will then face the Panthers, Bears, Commanders, and Steelers. Four of those five teams have obvious flaws and it is by far the easiest stretch on the Atlanta Falcons’ schedule. If the team believes Ridder needs time to learn the offense Mariota should not only start week one but the first seven games of the season before handing the team over to Ridder in the best stretch of games Atlanta will have.

Ten games should be more than enough for the Falcons to evaluate what they have in Ridder and whether or not he is the quarterback of the future. Putting him in the best situation to succeed on a bad roster is paramount and gives the Falcons their best chance of finding their quarterback of the future in Desmond Ridder.