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Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith likes what he has seen out of second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder thus far during training camp.
According to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (h/t Pro Football Talk’s Myles Simmons), Smith said the following Wednesday regarding Ridder’s performance during a scrimmage with the Miami Dolphins:
“That was pretty solid. There are a lot of things to coach off, but Des has done a good job. … A lot of time they can complete a ball and make a poor decision that you can get away with in practice. But I think his decision-making has been pretty damn good. I think his techniques are certainly improving and that’s the name of the game.”
After starting the final four games of his rookie season, Ridder is expected to be Atlanta’s starter when the 2023 regular season opens.
Atlanta selected Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Cincinnati with the goal of allowing him to sit and learn behind veteran Marcus Mariota.
Mariota largely struggled last season, giving Ridder the opportunity to get some reps in as a starter.
Ridder posted a 2-2 record as the starter and completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 708 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed 16 times for 64 yards, showing off his dual-threat ability.
While the numbers didn’t leap off the page, Ridder played mistake-free football and did enough to prevent the Falcons from targeting a quarterback early in the 2023 draft.
Mariota and the Falcons parted ways during the offseason, and Atlanta replaced him with another veteran signal-caller in Taylor Heinicke.
The 30-year-old Heinicke is 12-12-1 in 25 career starts with the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers, and he has started a playoff game, so he is a solid fallback option if Ridder struggles in 2023.
In March, Smith said the team’s “plan” is to go into the regular season with Ridder as the starter, so every indication is that the 23-year-old will be under center come Week 1.
With the Falcons selecting Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft, Atlanta may have a run-first offense, meaning the burden of offensive success won’t rest solely on Ridder’s shoulders.
Simply carrying over the quality decision-making he displayed last season and thus far in training camp could go a long way toward making Ridder successful and helping the Falcons vie for an NFC South title.
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