The Atlanta Falcons have signed rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder to a four-year contract worth $5.3 million, with a signing bonus of just over $1 million, ESPN’s Field Yates reported on Tuesday.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder has agreed to his 4-year rookie deal with $5,362,962 and includes a $1,080,336 signing bonus.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 19, 2022
Ridder, a third-round pick out of Cincinnati, is expected to battle veteran Marcus Mariota for the starting quarterback job in Atlanta. He’s the last of the team’s eight draft picks to sign and does so just in time as rookies report to training camp Tuesday.
The Falcons shipped Matt Ryan to Indianapolis over the offseason and the coaching staff appears to be going in a different direction at QB, focusing more on mobility.
“A pro-ready passer with tons of starting experience and a track record of both personal production and team success, Ridder will tempt teams with his potential to be a Day 1 starter,” Draft Wire’s Natalie Miller wrote ahead of the draft. “His overall upside is a tad limited, but he should still hear his name called early in this year’s draft, as one of the top quaterbacks off the board.”
During Ridder’s four years at Cincinnati, he threw for 10,239 passing yards and 87 touchdowns, with another 28 rushing scores.
