Falcons coach Arthur Smith said he expects Desmond Ridder "to take the next step."

28 March 2023

Not that it's a surprise based on Taylor Heinicke's comments to the media about being the best backup that he could be for Ridder, but Smith also said the plan going forward was for Ridder to be the starter. "I thought he made significant improvement from each start ... We expect him to make another leap this offseason ... We expect significant growth from him," Smith added. Smith also refused to talk about Lamar Jackson, saying "We are going to talk about our own players."