The Atlanta Falcons all but anointed Desmond Ridder a starter over the summer, but the gears had begun turning for that end well before the announcement. This franchise spoke glowingly of Ridder when they drafted him, parked Marcus Mariota for a look at him late in 2022, declined to sign a quarterback to actually compete with him for the starting gig and declared themselves out of the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes-that-wasn’t immediately, and treated him like an established starter when they parked him for most of the preseason.
Every indication was that this team believed Desmond Ridder could be their starter for the 2023 season and perhaps longer.