JUST IN: Falcons head coach Arthur Smith gives important updates on finding a QB, Fans wanna know

The Falcons are currently without a franchise quarterback.

Though Arthur Smith’s job is in jeopardy, Desmond Ridder’s is not; he will not be the starter in 2023 after being benched for the second time this season for an inexcusable red zone interception against the Panthers, which resulted in a Carolina drive that set up a game-winning field goal.

Ridder had his sixth red zone turnover of the season, the most in the NFL. He rarely took care of the ball and never improved in that area. The Falcons consistently shot themselves in the foot, and Ridder was often the culprit in crucial moments of the game.

Atlanta is no closer to finding a franchise quarterback after three seasons. They’ve put almost nothing (draft capital/money) into the position. Marcus Mariota and Taylor Heinicke have only received a third-round pick and a couple of backup-caliber deals.

However, as Albert Breer points out, this could be viewed positively.

Their strategy was to avoid being the team that goes all in on a quarterback who, well, wasn’t all in on, with the idea that all that does is make you the 45-win NBA team that’s stuck in the good-not-great category. I mostly agree, and I’d argue that the Buccaneers are far better off with Baker Mayfield at $10 million than the Saints are with Derek Carr, the Raiders are with Jimmy Garoppolo, or even the Giants are with Daniel Jones right now (all of those players are a few ticks below the market’s top).

Instead of giving Derek Carr $150 million or trading a slew of draft picks and guaranteeing Deshuan Watson $240 million, the Falcons have sat back and waited, rather than going all-in on a player they weren’t sure about.

So Atlanta tried to tread water with Matt Ryan in Year 1, Marcus Mariota in Year 2, and Desmond Ridder in Year 3 while building the rest of the roster—the benefit being a better situation for the quarterback when the team finds him, and the risk being the bottom falling out completely at the most important position on the field.

And the Falcons are now 6-8 as a result of that risk.

But that doesn’t mean what they did conceptually was incorrect, or that the plan couldn’t still work in 2024 if Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot can find their guy.

As Breer points out, I believe the Falcons had the right strategy in theory. It simply hasn’t worked. Regardless of the situation, that plan will be forced into action this offseason. Regardless of who is the head coach or the quarterback pool, the Falcons will be looking for a new quarterback this offseason.