Falcons not naming Desmond Ridder starting QB amid rumors

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith isn't anointing 2022 rookie Desmond Ridder his starting quarterback at this stage of the offseason. 

"We're not naming any starters right now," Smith told Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' website. "There are a lot of things that can happen. We're very excited about Des, no different than we are about (running back) Tyler Allgeier and (wide receiver) Drake London and the improvements they've made and guys who are currently on our roster. As always, all options are on the table. Anything that we can do to improve this team and help us win - and to ultimately win championships - that's what we're looking for."

The Falcons used a third-round pick in last year's draft to acquire Ridder and then sat him behind Marcus Mariota through the middle of December. In total, the 23-year-old completed 63.5% of 115 pass attempts for 708 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. 

During his comments, Smith praised Ridder for not repeating "a lot of the same mistakes" as a first-year pro. However, such kind words likely won't stop the Falcons from being linked with other signal-callers through at least early March. 

Multiple in-the-know individuals have predicted that the Falcons will consider making a bold move for Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson. 

Jackson is a pending free agent who may or may not be looking for a fully guaranteed deal from the Ravens or a different team this offseason, and it's assumed Baltimore will retain his rights via the franchise tag ahead of the March 7 deadline for clubs to use their tags. 

The Ravens could utilize the exclusive franchise tag on Jackson and then ask for more than two first-round draft picks from a team such as the Falcons in return for the one-time NFL Most Valuable Player before the upcoming draft gets underway on April 27. 

Additionally, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported during an on-air segment that the Falcons are a "natural fit" for Jimmy Garoppolo of the San Francisco 49ers. 

Garoppolo mentored youngsters Trey Lance and Brock Purdy during his San Francisco tenure and is on track to hit free agency next month. 

It's unknown if Garoppolo would be willing to share a quarterback room with a prospect such as Ridder or if he'd look to sign with a different team that would automatically name him its QB1.