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The Arizona Cardinals are acquiring former starting quarterback Desmond Ridder from the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, according to a source. Ridder squandered his chance as the full-time starter for the Falcons in 2023 by throwing for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games (13 starts), eventually being benched in favor of Taylor Heinicke. The former third-round pick out of Cincinnati has also lost nine fumbles in 19 games (17 starts) in his two NFL seasons. Atlanta's signing of Kirk Cousins made Ridder expendable, and he'll now make for a solid backup option in Arizona for starter Kyler Murray. The 24-year-old obviously won't be on the fantasy radar in single-year leagues in 2024 now that he's firmly entrenched in a backup role.
Mar 14, 2024 1:30 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is expected to be traded now that the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins, according to sources. The Falcons have been discussing a deal with other teams, but nothing is in place yet. The 24-year-old third-round pick in 2022 out of Cincinnati lost the starting gig to Taylor Heinicke last year and finished with a 64.2 completion percentage, 2,836 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 games (13 starts). In his 17 NFL starts over two seasons, Ridder hasn't looked like a starter, throwing 14 TDs and 12 interceptions with 7.0 yards per attempt. He's also lost nine fumbles. At best, Ridder could land with a team like the Denver Broncos that would give him a chance to compete for a starting role in 2024. Clearly, Ridder's fantasy stock in dynasty/keeper leagues has taken a big hit after his disappointing 2023 campaign.
Mar 14, 2024 1:01 PM EST
The Atlanta Falcons finished 21st in the NFL in 2023 in EPA per dropback with quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder, according to TruMedia. Only six teams threw more than Atlanta's 17 interceptions, and Ridder added 12 lost fumbles. The Falcons appear to be just a quarterback away from being true contenders, and the team is primed to search for an upgrade over Heinicke and Ridder in 2024, either through the draft, free agency or the trade market under new head coach Raheem Morris. Depending on the signal-caller that the Falcons add this offseason, their offense should be expected to be much more aggressive under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, which should benefit key offensive pieces such as running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London.
Feb 16, 2024 2:44 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has struggled throughout most of the season, but ended his 2023 campaign with a bang. The young signal-caller completed 22-of-30 passing attempts for 291 yards with two touchdowns and one interception during the Week 18 loss to the New Orleans Saints. It was a nice finish to the season for Ridder, but it probably wasn't enough to save his job in Atlanta. This season, Ridder threw for 2,836 yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was benched on two separate occasions for backup Taylor Heinicke. The expectation is that the Falcons add to their quarterback room this offseason and move on from Ridder. Regardless, he won't be much of a fantasy option on any team heading into 2024.
Jan 7, 2024 9:16 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is being benched for Taylor Heinicke for the second time this year, likely signaling an end for him as the starter long-term in Atlanta. Dating back to 2022, Ridder has started 16 games, going 8-8 while completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 3,236 yards, 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He's under contract for the next two seasons and should make for a solid option in a backup role if that's a role he's willing to take Given the state of the team at 6-8 right now, it's hard to imagine head coach Arthur Smith will give Ridder a third chance at the starting gig. However, it's also doubtful the Falcons are looking at Heinicke as the long-term answer under center. He's 12-14-1 as an NFL starter and has been marginally better than Ridder in his two starts this year.
Dec 19, 2023 12:07 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder had a tough time getting anything going against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The young signal-caller completed 12-of-20 passing attempts for 152 yards with a touchdown and one interception in the loss. Ridder looked lackluster all game long until late in the fourth quarter. He finally put together a decent drive until he an awful interception on his back foot in the red zone. After that, the Panthers drove down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal. Head coach Arthur Smith didn't commit to Ridder being the starter next week. Regardless, Ridder is barely a fantasy option for the Week 16 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Dec 17, 2023 9:26 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder posted a 347-yard performance during last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite a nice day on paper, Ridder still made multiple mistakes with an interception and fumble in the defeat. Ridder continues to struggle with his accuracy and was lucky to get out of that game with only one interception. It won't get easier for Ridder against the Carolina Panthers defense in Week 15. A defensive unit that has allowed the fewest amount of fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Ridder will be avoidable in most fantasy formats for this week.
Dec 15, 2023 9:44 AM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder came into this game with two straight performance with under 170 passing yards. However, the young signal-caller had no issues getting yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense on Sunday. Ridder completed 26-of-40 passing attempts for 347 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss. Ridder threw for nearly 350 yards, but still had a tough time during this game. He nearly threw multiple interceptions and fumbled for a safety. Luckily, Ridder was bailed out by his offensive weapons in this game. He's a low-end QB2 for a matchup against the Carolina Panthers in Week 15.
Dec 10, 2023 9:54 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has been held under 170 passing yards in each of his last two starts since returning as the team's starter. Ridder did very little during last week's win over the New York Jets. Despite that, the Falcons plan to stick with Ridder for at least the rest of this season. However, it's uncertain if he'll be back as the team's starter next season if he continues to play like he has lately. In the meantime, he'll be a desperation deep league option against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14.
Dec 8, 2023 9:54 AM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder made his second straight start after being benched mid-season. The time off didn't help Ridder at all as he continues to be as inaccurate as ever before. On Sunday, Ridder completed 12-of-27 passing attempts for 121 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions in the win over the New York Jets. The Falcons were able to come away with the win, but it wasn't because of Ridder under center. The team will continue to start him going forward, but are likely to re-evaluate the quarterback situation in the offseason. For now, Ridder shouldn't be considered a reliable streaming option for the Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dec 3, 2023 7:26 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder returned as the team's starter ahead of the Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. The time off didn't seem to help Ridder improve as he still struggled with his accuracy last week. He completed 13-of-21 passing attempts for 168 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the win. The Falcons went run-heavy in this game and that'll probably be the case going forward. Regardless, Ridder won't be much of a fantasy option versus the New York Jets in Week 13. The Jets have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Ridder has struggled throughout most of the season, so consider him a desperation option in fantasy formats for this game.
Nov 30, 2023 5:31 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder returned as the team's starter after the Taylor Heinicke experiment didn't work out too well. It seems like the time off didn't help Ridder improve at all. He was inaccurate and struggled throughout most of Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. He completed 13-of-21 passing attempts for 168 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the win. Ridder also added seven rushes for 30 yards on the ground as he was eager to leave the pocket and run with the ball. There's not many good things to take away from Ridder's performance outside of the fact he didn't make a game-losing turnover in the fourth quarter. He should be considered a desperation option against the New York Jets next week.
Nov 26, 2023 9:00 PM EST
The Atlanta Falcons confirmed that quarterback Desmond Ridder will return to the starting job not just for one week, but for the rest of the season, starting in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Arthur Smith thinks that Ridder "gives them the best chance." Ridder was benched for Taylor Heinicke the last two games and returned in Week 10 when Heinicke injured his hamstring. Heinicke isn't guaranteed to practice this week, so Logan Woodside could serve as Ridder's backup on Sunday. Ridder completed 65.4% of his passes for 1,740 yards, six TDs and six picks before being benched, with six lost fumbles. The second-year QB is a clear QB2 in fantasy, but he has upside for more because of his legs (four rushing scores this year).
Nov 20, 2023 6:30 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said the team will evaluate the quarterback position heading into a Week 9 clash against the Minnesota Vikings. Smith reiterated that health can affect performance, and his top concern is Desmond Ridder's (head) health. "Whoever is going to play this week has got to get the reps," Smith said. The head coach also said he will make a decision on the team's starter under center for Week 9 on Wednesday. Ridder was checked for a concussion in the Week 8 loss to the Tennessee Titans and was cleared to return, but he didn't play in the second half, so he's up in the air to play in Week 9. Given the injury and the 24-year-old's performance this year, the Falcons could use it as an excuse to give Taylor Heinicke a start this weekend.
Oct 30, 2023 2:16 PM EST
According to Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, the team remains confident in the abilities of quarterback Desmond Ridder. The signal-caller didn't look the best in the Week 8 loss to the Titans, going 8-for-12 for 71 yards and adding three carries for 26 yards before being replaced by Taylor Heinicke. While those numbers aren't the worst, Ridder's subpar showing on Sunday and lack of progression from his rookie campaign led many to believe he was benched for those reasons. However, Smith is standing firm with his reasoning behind pulling the 24-year-old, so fantasy managers must wait to see how this situation plays out moving ahead. But even if Ridder is back under center for Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, he likely won't be featured in many fantasy lineups.
Oct 29, 2023 5:36 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has put together an up-and-down campaign through the first seven weeks of the season. He has a couple 300-yard performances, but Ridder also has six turnovers in his last two games. That being said, Ridder will be a somewhat shaky streaming option versus the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. The young signal-caller is still putting it all together and probably won't be anything more than a low-end QB2 this week.
Oct 28, 2023 9:39 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder posted two straight 300-plus yard performances coming into this Week 7 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sadly, the young quarterback wasn't able to carry that same momentum into this game. Ridder didn't look bad as he completed 19-of-25 passing attempts for 250 yards with a rushing touchdown. However, he had three fumbles, which really hurt him during this game. Luckily for him, the Falcons were able to get the win despite his turnovers. Ridder has been up and down throughout this season. He'll remain in the QB2 range for the Week 8 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Oct 22, 2023 9:32 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder has posted back-to-back 300-plus yard performances. He'll look to keep that going against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7. The yardage looks nice, but Ridder continues to have issues with his accuracy. He threw three interceptions last week, which obviously really hurt the team. Despite his turnover struggles, Ridder should still be able to provide QB2 value for this upcoming game with the Bucs.
Oct 20, 2023 9:44 AM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder put together his second straight 300-yard performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 6. The young signal-caller completed 28-of-47 passing attempts for 307 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions in the loss. The Falcons actually had a chance to win this game, but poor clock management and a bad throw by Ridder ended that quickly. He'll attempt to figure it out versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week. Ridder will be a low-end QB2 for that contest.
Oct 15, 2023 5:29 PM EST
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder is coming off his first 300-yard performance of his career. The second-year signal-caller was struggling coming into this contest, but hopefully this two-touchdown performance was a turning point for him. The Falcons are normally a run-heavy team, but threw the ball 37 times in Week 5. Ridder might be able to have some streaming value, assuming Atlanta continues to air it out. Ridder will face off against the Washington Commanders in Week 6. A defensive unit that was struggled heavily to begin the season. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect another 300-yard performance, but Ridder should have some streaming value for this matchup.
Oct 13, 2023 9:24 AM EST
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