Despite the Lamar Jackson rumblings and the unpredictability of the Atlanta Falcons front office, it seems increasingly likely the team sticks with Desmond Ridder. The second-year quarterback is on a bargain of a contract and showed steady improvement and an ability to take care of the football through four games.
If the Falcons focus their efforts on building a complete roster there is zero reasons to think they can’t be a playoff team with Desmond Ridder. In a weak NFC, the Falcons can commit to the run-first mentality of Arthur Smith and use Kyle Pitts and Drake London to keep the defense honest.
Going all in for a quarterback this off-season limits Atlanta’s ability to compete in the playoffs without much-needed depth.
Desmond Ridder is still unknown and should be given the chance to start for the first half of the 2023 season with a roster built around him. Sticking with Ridder opens up many possibilities for the team to improve both in the draft and free agency saving cap space on the highest-paid position. Leaving Atlanta with four clear moves to make to set Ridder up for 2023.