Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said on Monday that he was considering a quarterback change after the team fell to 6-8 with a 9-7 loss to the Panthers and he has reportedly come to a decision.
According to TheAthletic.com, the Falcons will be starting Taylor Heinicke against the Colts. It would be the second time that Smith and the Falcons have benched Ridder in favor of Heinicke this season.
The first time came during a Week Eight loss to the Titans and Heinicke started the next two games, which were also losses, before the Falcons went back to Ridder after their Week 11 bye. Smith said the plan was for Ridder to start for the rest of the season and they won two games out of the bye to move to the top of the NFC South, but back-to-back losses dropped them behind the Buccaneers and Saints and a late Ridder interception crushed him against Carolina.
That change of fortunes was enough to force Smith to change his plans and benching Ridder twice likely means the Falcons will likely be making new long-term quarterback plans once the offseason arrives.