The 2023 season was a major disappointment for the Atlanta Falcons, but things might have gone differently had former head coach Arthur Smith gone in another direction at quarterback. The team went into the season with second-year QB Desmond Ridder and the results weren’t pretty.
In Ridder’s defense, he probably shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place. Smith stubbornly sat the young quarterback in the preseason and then went back and forth between Ridder and Taylor Heinicke despite insisting he wouldn’t play “musical chairs.”
The Falcons replaced Smith with Raheem Morris in the offseason and the first thing he did was sign free-agent QB Kirk Cousins. The team then traded Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals for wide receiver Rondale Moore.
Morris told reporters at the NFL owners meeting that Ridder did not demand a trade and that the team simply had a chance to add some speed at receiver.
“Desmond was a great kid and he did not come to us and demand a trade or anything,” said Morris. “He was in working out, doing the things he was supposed to do. The opportunity presented for us to add speed.”
The Falcons and Desmond Ridder parted on good terms, Raheem Morris said. "Desmond was a great kid and he did not come to us and demand a trade or anything like that. He was in working out, doing the things he was supposed to do. The opportunity presented for us to add speed."
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) March 26, 2024
A fresh start was probably the best thing for both parties. Ridder is a better fit for Arizona’s scheme than he would have been in Atlanta with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson taking over.
The former third-round pick will get a chance to sit and learn behind Cardinals QB Kyler Murray this season. Ridder went 8-9 in his 17 starts with the Falcons, passing for 3,544 yards, 14 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a passer rating of 84.1.