The Falcons are among the teams to watch on the quarterback market this offseason, either through the acquisition of a veteran passer or a rookie via the draft. A firm course of action has yet to be determined, but the organization has a move of some kind high on the to-do list. 
Atlanta has 2022 third-rounder Desmond Ridder on his rookie contract for two more seasons. The team brought in veteran Taylor Heinicke last offseason on a two-year, $14MM deal to provide insurance, but neither signal-caller lived up to expectations in 2023. The latter can be released in a move yielding nearly $7MM in cap savings and only $2MM in dead cap charges. Regardless of if that happens, though, the Falcons will need to find a starting-caliber option this spring.
“That’s a top priority for us this offseason,” general manager Terry Fontenot confirmed during an appearance on NFL Network’s NFL Report (video link). “We are not going to close any doors. Be it trades, free agency [or] the draft. We’ll make sure we keep an open mind there. We’ll attack it and make sure that we get it right.”
At this point on the NFL calendar, team executives would generally be expected to keep their options as open as possible when making public remarks. Still, it is notable the Falcons are not leaving any avenue off the table with respect to adding a passer. Aside from Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, few quarterbacks are set to hit the open market who could be worth a lucrative, multi-year investment.
On the trade front, Atlanta has been named as a team which could be a landing spot for Bears QB Justin Fields. Chicago has yet to commit to retaining or dealing Fields, but the latter option would present the Falcons (and other interested teams) with a young passer who could be under team control through at least 2025 via the fifth-year option. Set to pick eighth overall, Atlanta will be out of the range of the top QB draft prospects barring a trade up, but the team will still have options to consider in April.
For the time being, the Falcons have roughly $25MM in cap space. That figure will change during the course of cost-cutting season, but finances should be less of an issue for Atlanta than other QB-needy teams around the league given the inexpensive nature of the incumbent passers. Other roster holes such as receiver and edge rusher will need to be addressed this offseason, but an addition under center remains front of mind for Fontenot and Co. with roughly one month remaining until the new league year.
Nothing new here. The two weeks between the Combine and start of FA? That’s when the dominoes will start to fall.
We need to get it right
As a Steelers fan, I expect the Falcons to do something to improve while our team continues to stand by their first round selection, Pickett. Same type of circumstances although the Falcons moving on from Ridder doesn’t carry the embarrassment of admitting a draft mistake, I guess. Will be interesting to see how this plays out
RW3
Maybe Ridder will thrive in the new head coach’s approach.
lol
Falcons just need to steer clear of Fields. Fact is, Fields has only had one really good year and that was at Ohio State with 4 eventual first round draft picks running wide open all over the field.
He just doesn’t do the number one thing today’s NFL QB’s must do well, make quick decisions. Ridder is the exact same way. They both go through their progressions better than they used to, but once they pick an option they just don’t seem to act quickly. I am not talking foot speed or arm strength, or even release speed on throwing, but just turning a thought into a decisive action.
Put more sternly, Fields benefitted from having WR’s open by 8-10 yards in college and now that the windows are smaller and decisions have to be made quickly, he just isn’t getting it done. It’s not a coachable thing in my opinion. You either have it or you don’t. Russell Wilson would be a far better option at the stage that the Falcons current roster is in … or Cousins, Mayfield .. perhaps even Dalton, Winston, or a host of other aging vets. If you want a salvage project, there are others I would put ahead of Fields. He has just been terrible in everything except running and that doesn’t age well.
Worse yet, you basically have to immediately make a decision on that fifth year with Fields before you even get to see him in action.