Fox’s Terry Bradshaw Trashes Falcons’ Arthur Smith for Benching QB Desmond Ridder

The Pro Football Hall of Famer ripped the Atlanta Falcons head coach for his decision to start quarterback Taylor Heinicke in Week 16.

Fox Sports analyst and NFL great Terry Bradshaw crushed Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith for reneging on his decision to name Desmond Ridder as the team’s starting quarterback, presumably for the remainder of the season.

Both Ridder and Taylor Heinicke have led the Falcons offense at different points this season. But after the Falcons’ bye in Week 11, Smith pivoted to Ridder on the heels of three uneven performances by Heinicke.

But on Tuesday, Smith announced his decision to start Heinicke in the Falcons’ Week 16 game against the Indianapolis Colts. Although Ridder has struggled recently, Bradshaw said he has “no respect” for Smith because he believes Smith lied to Ridder. Indeed, the Pro Football Hall of Famer believes the second-year quarterback deserves better.

“I have no respect for Arthur Smith,” Bradshaw said on the Christmas Eve edition of Fox NFL Sunday. “Messed with that young quarterback Desmond Ridder like that, and you set him back. Play the young man. Leave him alone. Don’t lie to him. And [Smith] lied to him. And he needs to get his butt whooped! Nothing upsets me more than when someone lies to me.”

terry bradshaw cooked arthur smith.

notice the number of losses in front of the number of seasons…

we can never escape it… pic.twitter.com/fIByORpBmE

— pboyydouglas (@milfhunterjones) December 24, 2023

As it turns out, Heinicke enjoyed his best game of the season Sunday, completing 23 of 33 passes for 229 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions in a 29–10 win over the Colts.

The Falcons (7–8) play at the Chicago Bears next week, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.