The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback situation is still up in the air despite rookie Desmond Ridder looking useful.
Beat: Unknown if Falcons will stick with Ridder https://t.co/72dsLzxvwc
— NBC Sports EDGE Football (@NBCSEdgeFB) February 2, 2023
Marcus Mariota started 13 games for the Falcons this season with rookie Desmond Ridder finishing the season with his first four career starts. The Falcons head into the offseason not knowing what their 2023 depth chart will look like at quarterback.
It seems likely that Mariota played his last game with the Falcons. They’ll save $12 million in cap space next season by eliminating Mariota. He always looked like a bridge quarterback for Atlanta when it signed him this offseason.
However, Falcons coach Arthur Smith would not say one way or another what the team hopes to do with Mariota. “There will be talks. There’s nothing to update now,” Smith said, via TheAthletic.com’s Josh Kendall. “Like a lot of our guys who are under contract, decisions have to be made, but nothing has been made at this point.”
Mariota passed for 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions before being benched and replaced by Ridder. Mariota left the team, had knee surgery, and did not practice for the rest of the season.
Ridder, a third-round pick, will fit on the depth chart somewhere. However, the Falcons stopped short of declaring him the starter. There have been rumors that they traded for Lamar Jackson or Derek Carr.
Ridder completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Falcons were 2-2 in their starts.
“What we appreciate about Desmond is the way he handled himself, his poise, his confidence, the kind of teammate he was,” General Manager Terry Fontenot said.
The NFC South is now one of the worst divisions in the NFL. Whoever the quarterback is for this team, Atlanta is likely not the favorite to win the division according to Georgia sportsbooks.
