Named starting quarterback

Head coach Arthur Smith announced Tuesday that Ridder will be the Falcons' starting quarterback to begin the 2023 campaign, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.

After the acquisition of Taylor Heinicke earlier this month, Rothstein reported that Ridder was still expected to retain the starting gig, and Smith finally confirmed as much. Smith's comments also suggest that the Falcons aren't targeting a quarterback with the No. 8 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Ridder took over for a struggling Marcus Mariota and started the final four games of the 2022 campaign, completing 63.5 percent of his pass attempts for 708 yards and two touchdowns while carrying 16 times for 64 yards. Ridder didn't throw an interception in any of those contests but lost fumbles in Week 17 and 18 wins over the Cardinals and Buccaneers, respectively.