Getty Image / Cooper Neill
It’s been an interesting offseason for the Atlanta Falcons, as they’ve made some nice moves to improve the roster.
However, the quarterback situation is still a concern, especially amongst the fanbase.
The franchise was one of the first teams to claim they were out on possibly acquiring Lamar Jackson. On Tuesday, head coach Arthur Smith reiterated the team is dedicated to Desmond Ridder, per Orlando Ledbetter.
#Falcons coach Arthur Smith said Desmond Ridder is the starting quarterback. “We expect Desmond to take the next step,” Smith said. (He would not comment about Lamar Jackson. “We are going to talk about our own players,” Smith said) pic.twitter.com/9U483xb2qz
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) March 28, 2023
According to Ari Meirov, the Falcons’ head coach even goes as far as to say they expect to see “significant growth out of him.”
#Falcons HC Arthur Smith reiterated today that the plan is for Desmond Ridder to be their starting quarterback and they expect to see “significant growth out of him.”
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 28, 2023
From the sounds of it, Atlanta is sold on the idea of Desmond Ridder being the starting quarterback next season.
Despite that, Falcons fans aren’t really feeling the same way about Ridder. For that reason, they can’t help but roast their head coach over his latest claims.
The Ridder taking the next step toward the falcons getting the #1 overall pick 😂
— Reggie Watkins (@ReggieWatkinsJr) March 28, 2023
Looks like Falcons fans are already thinking about the 2024 NFL Draft.
So tanking for Caleb Williams?
— Jon Scharfman (@JonScharfman) March 28, 2023
Perfect use of this meme.
Made this beauty in class just now pic.twitter.com/XSpzlQaiEg
— Tiger King (@Tiger_King2004) March 28, 2023
Atlanta hasn’t really recovered from that Super Bowl loss and this is a big gamble for the team and Arthur Smith.
This is how you stay a bad team
— Braden41 (@Braden_4198) March 28, 2023
Maybe Desmond Ridder figures it out and can be a solid starter in the league. If that’s the case, then the Falcons win big. If not, well, things could be looking very different this time next year.