Desmond Ridder won’t be making his first career start when the Falcons open the season against the Panthers on Sunday.
But it will be Ridder’s first real chance to prove that he can be Atlanta’s franchise quarterback this year and into the future.
From team owner Arthur Blank on down, the Falcons’ brass has universally expressed belief in Ridder to be the club’s QB1 throughout the offseason and training camp.
That continued this week when head coach Arthur Smith was asked about his confidence level in Ridder. And Smith kept his answer short and sweet.
“We wouldn’t put him out there if we weren’t confident,” Smith said in his Wednesday press conference. “Simple as that.”
Ridder didn’t play much in the preseason, completing 7-of-9 passes for 80 yards with an interception. In his four starts at the end of 2022, Ridder completed 63.5 percent of his throws for 708 yards with two touchdowns and no picks.