The Atlanta Falcons are somehow still hanging around in the NFC South, despite the fact that they have lost four of their past five games. The Falcons have been receiving subpar quarterback play from Marcus Mariota recently, and rumors have been swirling whether or not they could be willing to turn things over to rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Those rumors have finally come to fruition, as the Falcons are reportedly intending on benching Mariota in favor of Ridder when they return to action in Week 15 after their Week 14 bye. This is a shocking decision that could have massive repercussions for the remainder of the Falcons 2022 season, and their future as a whole.

This is a somewhat surprising move from the Falcons, as head coach Arthur Smith had remained adamant that Mariota would be the team's starting quarterback throughout the season. But Mariota hasn't been much more than a game manager who can scramble from time-to-time this season, and while he doesn't have much to work with, it's clear he's been unable to meet expectations recently.

Turning things over to Ridder, a 2022 third-round pick, will make things interesting for the Falcons. On one hand, they don't really have a lot of help to give him on offense. But it's not as if the Falcons are getting blown out of the water either, as only two of their eight losses have come by more than six points.

The Falcons offense has been lethargic in recent weeks, so it will be interesting to see if Ridder can change things up for them. Atlanta's expectations likely aren't too high for their rookie quarterback, but this could end up being a very important decision for the future of the franchise, and it will be interesting to see how Ridder performs when he ends up taking the field.