Is Desmond Ridder's Atlanta Falcons Career Over After Latest Benching?

The Atlanta Falcons have benched quarterback Desmond Ridder once again, leading to doubts about his future with the club.

For the second time this season, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder finds himself on the bench as the team announced Taylor Heinicke will start against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Ridder, a 2022 third-round pick out of Cincinnati who started the final few games last year, hasn't had the development the Falcons had hoped for in his second season. In 13 games, 12 of them starts, Ridder has completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 2,528 yards with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Despite having a great set of skill position players, subpar quarterback play (along with questionable coaching) has kept the Falcons from realizing their full offensive potential.

After his latest benching, it appears that Ridder's time in Atlanta may be winding down already, with The Athletic speculating as such in a damning piece.

Dec 17, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) runs as Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods (25) defends in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium / Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

"The Falcons coaching staff has consistently praised Ridder’s work ethic and pointed out that he’s shown flashes of very good play, but the quarterback has not been able to eliminate the crucial errors, and Atlanta seems to have given up hope that he will," The Athletic writes.

If Ridder is truly done in Atlanta, that begs the question, where to next?

While it's not entirely out of the question that Ridder could start elsewhere, as he has shown flashes of promise in the NFL and his college resume may catch some teams' attention, but a backup job may be more likely given his overall body of work. That does mean he would still have a valuable place in the league, though, as due to the sheer amount of quarterback injuries, this season has shown just how important backups can be.

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There is still the matter of Ridder's contract, which keeps him in Atlanta for two more seasons. If he's OK with a backup role in Atlanta, then he could remain with the Falcons as they pursue another quarterback. If not, then it would make sense for the two sides to part ways.

Sure, Ridder's first two seasons haven't gone as he would've hoped, but there is surely still a place for him in the league.