Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank stopped short of saying Desmond Ridder will be the team’s starting quarterback next season, but does believe the team has an exciting young talent at the position.
Ridder took over the starting job in Week 15 and threw for 708 yards and a pair of touchdowns while leading the Falcons to a 2-2 finish.
“We’re very excited about Desmond Ridder,” Blank told reporters on Wednesday in his first public comments since the end of the season. “I think from the time he came into training camp, he showed great capabilities as a leader amongst the rookies and then amongst the vets.”
Ridder was drafted in the third round out of Cincinnati and spent most of the season behind veteran Marcus Mariota. After taking over the reins of the offense, Ridder did not throw an interception while completing 63.5 percent of his passes.
Blank pointed out the progress Ridder showed, culminating in a season-ending win over Tampa Bay in which he completed 19 of 30 passes for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His passer rating improved in each of his four starts, concluding with a 108.2 mark against the Buccaneers.
Mariota is not expected to return and the only other quarterback currently on the roster is late-season signee Logan Woodside. The Falcons currently hold the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and while they will certainly add competition for Ridder at some point this offseason, Blank didn’t sound inclined to pursue a high-priced veteran option.
“As good as a quarterback may be, and they’re certainly a big part of a winning formula, they can’t play by themselves,” Blank said. “There’s 21 other (starters) that need to play as well so we’re committed to the position obviously and we know we need to think about it and I think we have it in Ridder.”
After swallowing $63 million in dead cap space last season after parting with Matt Ryan, the 23-year-old Ridder still has three years remaining on his rookie contract. Whether it’s Ridder or another incoming rookie at the helm, the ability to build around a rookie contract at quarterback is certainly appealing.
“When you have that opportunity, that’s the perfect set of circumstances,” Blank said. “The perfect storm, if you will, in a positive way, not a negative way. When you have a quarterback who you draft and have for four or five years, that’s a really big deal.”
“In the history of the Super Bowl, there hasn’t been one quarterback that represented 20 percent or more of the roster compensation.”
The Falcons are coming off their fifth consecutive losing season, and Blank admitted he’s looking for improvement heading into the third year with coach Arthur Smith. Along with Ridder, fourth-round running back Tyler Allgeier set the franchise rookie rushing record with 1,023 yards.
First-round wide receiver Drake London led the team with 72 catches — a franchise rookie record — for 866 yards, and the team received strong contributions from second-round linebackers Troy Andersen and Arnold Ebiketie and third-round linebacker DeAngelo Malone.
“We have a lot of young players that have developed at a very nice level and really have their best capabilities going forward, so I feel good about where we are,” Blank said. “And I think we have every reason as a fan and an owner to feel better about our team than we have in the last couple of years.”
–Field Level Media