The Atlanta Falcons have taken the first step toward making sure their current rebuild goes as smoothly as possible — and possibly accelerating their return to the top of the NFC South.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota has been benched after 13 games, and the team named third-round rookie Desmond Ridder their new starter. Time will (shortly) tell if Ridder has the promise to be the Falcons' quarterback heading into the future — with a date against their dreaded rival Saints coming this Sunday for his first game. While the plan is for Ridder to play well, and the organization is certainly high on their young quarterback prospect, it doesn’t matter too much if he shows that he can’t play in the NFL.