The Atlanta Falcons not trying to trade for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been one of the major talking points this NFL offseason.
Word broke that the Falcons were quickly removing themselves from the Jackson sweepstakes earlier this month, and it confused plenty of folks in the football world.
How could the Falcons, who had ample cap space and haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2017-18 season, ignore the idea of adding a former MVP quarterback to the roster and stick with a 2022 third-round pick who has started in four games?
Well, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith confirmed to Rich Eisen on Friday that, yes, the team did talk about Jackson before deciding to stick with Ridder for the 2023 season.
“We’re always going to look to add at every position,” Smith told Eisen. “Absolutely, we did [talk about Jackson]. You’ve got to know what’s going on, see the trends and see what’s available. So those are everyday conversations.”
Yes, the @AtlantaFalcons talked about Lamar Jackson but as Arthur Smith told us, they're confident in their plan going forward with Desmond Ridder:#NFL #NFLFreeAgency #NFLDraft @Lj_era8 @desmondridder #DirtyBirds pic.twitter.com/vccKL8pKdW
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) March 31, 2023
The Falcons have reportedly been very high on Ridder, the former Cincinnati quarterback, since the pre-draft process in 2022. Multiple confirmations in recent weeks have pointed to him being the starter for the team this fall.
Here is @AtlantaFalcons Coach Arthur Smith on QB Desmond Ridder from our Sunday sit down. Not only did he say Ridder was the starter for 2023 but said if Ridder was ready early as a rookie, he would have been The Guy. pic.twitter.com/7j5jXwmnM0
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) March 28, 2023
Desmond Ridder is slated to be the #falcons starting QB in 2023. What does Atlanta love about him? How will the offense fit him? My report on NFL NOW on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/oNlQXLd7jh
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) March 31, 2023
If you need further proof that the Falcons really aren’t going to trade for Jackson, team owner Arthur Blank basically said they weren’t going to without explicitly saying they weren’t going to this week at the NFL owners meetings.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank explained why they are not attempting to acquire Lamar Jackson. pic.twitter.com/6FxRgd6bTJ
— ESPN (@espn) March 29, 2023
Blank is also a fan of the Ridder move.
.@Atlantafalcons owner Arthur Blank on the decision to name 2nd year QB Desmond Ridder the starter, on whether they were in the market for a veteran starting QB and what his expectation is for his team. pic.twitter.com/nv3NMJtZjP
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) March 28, 2023
Whether sticking with Ridder will work out or not for Atlanta remains to be seen, but this last week really seems to have closed the door on the idea that Jackson could still wind up a Falcon this season.
If you’re still wondering what the Falcons are seeing in Ridder’s potential, a few clips of his 2022 play may help underline why Atlanta has more faith than most folks do in this plan working.
The rookie ties it up ‼️
📺 FOX || NFL+ pic.twitter.com/gmaxo9NFNJ
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 8, 2023
The moment you have all been waiting for ‼️
📺 FOX || NFL+ pic.twitter.com/CkZ5Kv255Q
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 8, 2023
📺 FOX || NFL+ pic.twitter.com/jHWCB4HBra
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) January 1, 2023
Desmond Ridder's preseason debut:
🏈 103 pass yds
🏈 59 rush yds
🏈 game-winning TD pass@AtlantaFalcons | @GoBearcatsFBpic.twitter.com/ZfudI1hILq— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) August 13, 2022
