The Falcons are set to bench veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota and start rookie Desmond Ridder, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports. The move comes after a 5–8 start to the season for Atlanta.
The Falcons, who are 1.5 games back of the Buccaneers in the NFC South, have a bye this weekend. After the week off, Ridder is set to start at the Saints on Sunday, Dec. 18.
Mariota struggled in last week’s 19–16 loss to the Steelers, completing 13-of-24 passes for just 167 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He added 17 rushing yards. It was the fifth straight game in which he threw for fewer than 200 yards. On the year, he has 2,219 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Ridder, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, has yet to take a regular season NFL snap. Before entering the NFL, he was a very productive four-year starter at Cincinnati. As a senior, Ridder completed 64.9% of his throws for 3,334 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions, adding 355 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. He also caught a touchdown pass.
