Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Commits to Desmond Ridder Amid Lamar Jackson Trade Request
The Atlanta Falcons are continuing to stick by second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder.
At the NFL owners meetings, head coach Arthur Smith spoke to the media for the first time since free agency began and once again ended speculation on trading for Lamar Jackson by committing to Ridder.
“We expect Desmond to take the next step,” Smith said via The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
When asked about Jackson and the news regarding his recent trade request, Smith neglected to comment, saying that he was only going to "talk about our own players."
Ridder has to be feeling the love right now. Despite starting in just four games last season, the Falcons are giving him the green light to be the starter going into 2023 and it doesn't appear that any red lights are coming. When a former MVP like Jackson becomes available and you're still the preferred choice, you've probably got a ton of stock.
Smith, along with owner Arthur Blank, have been incredibly vocal all offseason long in their support for Ridder, and by only signing career backup Taylor Heinicke to fulfill the same role with his hometown team, the job appears to belong to the former Cincinnati Bearcat.
The Jackson rumors will likely continue to sway towards the Falcons until the former MVP finds a new team, and every time it appears that the Atlanta brass will come to Ridder's defense.
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