4 Reasons sports media hasn't treated Desmond Ridder fairly this off-season

2. Desmond Ridder isn't a first round selection

Mitch Trubisky, Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, and Sam Darnold are the four most recent examples of how a quarterback is covered if taken in the first round compared to the later rounds. While there is always some pushback for a player at the position if you're selected in the first round the bubble wrap is on with teams obviously needing to give that player every chance to succeed.

Rosen has been given endless chances in the league despite the only consistency of his game being turnovers. Darnold and Mayfield were both given second and third chances as starters despite failing twice to hold onto starting roles.

Trubisky has been a backup since failing with the Bears but was given every chance to show he was a franchise quarterback. The point here being there is an obvious double standard that would completely change if the Falcons had selected Ridder instead of Drake London in the first round a season ago.

Ridder clearly had just as much success as Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett (albeit in a smaller sample size) but the coverage of the two players is completely different based on their draft selection. The way that sports media values quarterbacks is not fair in that it is early in their careers not always based on the talent or production but the draft price and the belief of what that player is or isn't because of it.