Falcons, round three QB Desmond Ridder agree to deal

With Falcons rookies reporting to camp Tuesday, the team finally came to terms with its third-round quarterback. Desmond Ridder is now under contract, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

While Ridder is the final Falcons 2022 draftee to sign, he is the first of this year’s third-round QBs to agree to the terms of his four-year rookie contract. Not as much wiggle room exists for third-rounders, as only their signing bonuses are guaranteed, but the CBA has annually made third-round contract agreements drag out a bit.

Ridder’s draft slot comes with a $5.36M price and includes a $1.1M signing bonus. The deal will include bonuses on Day 5 of the 2023, ’24 and ’25 training camps, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter). While the bonuses are for $78K (2023), $207K (2024) and $336K (2025), they represent a sweetener for a quarterback who was expected to come off the draft board earlier than he did.

The Falcons stopped the near-two-round quarterback drought by taking Ridder 74th overall. Ridder joined Malik Willis and Matt Corral in being linked to a potential first-round destination, but the non-Kenny Pickett wing of this year’s scrutinized QB class waited until late Friday night to be selected. Of the three, Ridder has the best chance of seeing extended starter run as a rookie.

After falling short in the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes — a derby in which the Falcons were believed to have finished second to the Browns — the team quickly pivoted from its quarterback plan of the past 14 years. The Falcons traded Matt Ryan and signed ex-Arthur Smith pupil Marcus Mariota. The former Heisman winner has not been a full-season QB1 since 2018, opening the door for Ridder. The Falcons being on a clear rebuilding track would stand to give Ridder a window at making several rookie-year starts, though Mariota is expected to open the season in the starter’s role.

Ridder started for four seasons with the Bearcats, with the most notable coming in 2021, when the seasoned signal-caller helped the American Athletic Conference team become the first Group of Five program to be selected for a College Football Playoff slot. Ridder finished his senior season with 3,334 passing yards, 30 TD throws and eight INTs. He also showed rushing chops throughout his career, topping 500 yards in a season twice and finishing his Cincinnati career with 28 rushing TDs.