After acquiring Kirk Cousins the Atlanta Falcons have found a successful landing spot for quarterback Desmond Ridder. The Falcons have traded Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for wide receiver Rondale Moore, per Ian Rapoport.
Ridder's time in Atlanta was likely to come to an end once the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year contract worth $180 million in free agency. Ridder started 13 games for the Falcons during his sophomore campaign in 2023, posting an 83.4 passer rating with 12 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also added five rushing touchdowns.
Ridder will probably serve as the backup to Cardinals starter Kyler Murray. He has two years remaining on his rookie deal.
The Falcons selected Ridder in the third round in 2022. He started four games as a rookie before earning the starting job in 2023. Though he was perhaps limited a bit by Arthur Smith's offense, Ridder was still able to lead Atlanta to a 6-7 record and the team was in playoff contention going into the final game of the season.
Teams seem to be giving up on quarterbacks quite easily as of late and Ridder's time with the Falcons is no exception. It is understandable for Atlanta to want an upgrade at the position and perhaps Ridder was never their first choice. He started less than 20 games though and did not get much time to develop in Atlanta's offense.
Rondale Moore isn’t a bad pick-up for the Falcons either. They have Drake London lined up as their top receiving option and big things will be expected of tight end Kyle Pitts. Moore had a down year in 2023 after averaging nearly 52 yards per game in 2022.
The Falcons offense is looking for a revival in 2024. Desmond Ridder will not be part of that revival.
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