Where did Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota land on NFL.com’s QB index?

They say when you have two quarterbacks in the NFL, you actually have none. And while this saying may be true to some extent, it usually applies to the strategy more than the players themselves.

Atlanta went into the 2022 season with Marcus Mariota as its starting quarterback, but he was merely signed as a bridge option after the team traded away Matt Ryan. The Falcons later drafted QB Desmond Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Head coach Arthur Smith went with Mariota for the first 13 games before handing the keys over to Ridder for the rest of the season. Both quarterbacks struggled, but Ridder showed signs of progress during his four-game stretch.

NFL.com’s Marc Sessler rated the league’s top 68 signal-callers in a new QB index feature. Mariota was ranked 27th, just slightly ahead of Ridder:

“Mariota was benched for Desmond Ridder and then walked away from the team entirely. If his career isn’t over, the former first-rounder did himself no favors with a body of work characterized by late-game gaffes, costly turnovers and an inability to connect with superstar-in-waiting Kyle Pitts. Now benched twice in his NFL tenure under the watch of Arthur Smith, Mariota fades into the woodwork.”

Mariota is still technically under contract, but with the way things ended this season, it’s hard to see any scenario in which he’s back in 2023. By releasing Mariota, the Falcons would gain $12 million in cap space.

As for Ridder, the rookie landed at No. 34 on NFL.com’s QB index. Here’s what Sessler wrote about the former Cincinnati standout:

“The third-rounder went four starts and 115 passes without throwing a pick. He grew in concert with first-year wideout Drake London and gives coach Arthur Smith something to work with if Atlanta doesn’t grab a passer with the draft’s No. 8 overall pick. I also consider the Falcons a dark-horse destination for former Smith pupil Ryan Tannehill if the Titans have eyes for another.”

Ridder and London had noticeable chemistry on the field, and the two rookies could be a big part of the team’s future if Atlanta doesn’t address the QB position this offseason.

The 2023 NFL draft is still a possibility for the Falcons, especially if someone like Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud is available at pick No. 8. For now, though, the job is Ridder’s to lose.