ATLANTA -- Desmond Ridder lingered on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium field late on a Friday afternoon. His team -- now his team as the starting quarterback -- had finished up a public practice about a half-hour earlier. He’d gone to sign autographs with his teammates and take pictures with fans.
And now, he hung out around the 20-yard line with his wife, Claire, and daughter, Leighton. A year ago, everything was new. He hadn’t thrown a professional pass in a game here. He was the backup trying to navigate the speed, footwork and everything involved with transitioning from a college quarterback to a professional one.