For the second time this season, it looks like the Atlanta Falcons are benching second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder in favor of veteran Taylor Heinicke.
According to a report from The Athletic, the team is set to start Taylor Heinicke in place of Desmond Ridder after Ridder made a costly mistake against the Carolina Panthers that essentially ended the team’s playoff hopes.
“The decision comes on the heels of Ridder throwing a critical interception in the red zone last Sunday against Carolina that led to the Panthers’ game-winning drive in a 9-7 contest that virtually ended Atlanta’s chances of making the playoffs. It was Ridder’s sixth red zone turnover of the season and 16th turnover overall. Only three players in the league have had more this season,” Josh Kendall and Jeff Schultz wrote for The Athletic this week.
The Falcons turned to Ridder this season in hopes that he could be their quarterback of the future, but after benching him twice this season it seems unlikely that Ridder will be in their long-term plans for their starting quarterback.
It remains unclear what the team plans to do to address the quarterback position this offseason, but it seems pretty clear they’ll want to go in a different direction than Ridder.
