New Falcons coach Raheem Morris is not impressed.
“If we had better quarterback play I may not be standing here at the podium,” Morris told reporters at the NFL combine.
Morris was officially hired on Jan. 25, and roughly a month later, he decided to come out firing on his two quarterbacks who remain under contract for the coming season.
Desmond Ridder began the year as the starting quarterback in his second year after being a third-round draft pick in 2022. But he was a disaster as the starter in 2023, grading out as the worst starter in the NFL (38th overall) among all qualified quarterbacks, according to Pro Football Focus.
Atlanta also got five games played from journeyman Taylor Heinicke.
The disaster of a season spelled the end for coach Arthur Smith, who was fired on Black Monday, less than 24 hours after he screamed at Saints coach Dennis Allen for a fake kneel at the end of a blowout loss.
The loss concluded a 7-10 season for the Falcons, who hoped to compete for a playoff spot, especially being a part of the NFC South, one of the worst divisions in the NFL.
And let’s not forget that the Falcons were curiously among the teams that immediately rebuffed Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who requested a trade in early March 2023.
Atlanta had few options at quarterback, yet they still told ESPN that they were not interested in Jackson.
Perhaps the coaching brass in Atlanta would still be around if they didn’t curiously decline to even pursue the eventual MVP.
But instead, they move forward with a lost season and a search for a new signalcaller in 2024.
Among the leading candidates to be acquired are Bears quarterback Justin Fields via a trade, Kirk Cousins via free agency, or another prospect in April’s NFL draft.
