FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Since trading quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts on March 21, 2022, the Atlanta Falcons had been searching for a successor.
The Falcons pursued Deshaun Watson, who ended up in Cleveland with a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. The Falcons then signed Marcus Mariota, who was benched after 13 games due to poor play. Atlanta drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round of the 2022 draft -- a year when the quarterback prospects were noticeably thin.
Of quarterbacks drafted that year, Ridder, Kenny Pickett and Sam Howell have all been traded midway through their rookie deals and are likely to be backups with their new teams.