Desmond Ridder’s situation has changed significantly compared to a year ago. Last year, Ridder was the top quarterback for the Atlanta team, but as the season progressed, he faced challenges and eventually lost his starting position to Taylor Heinicke. Despite returning to the lineup later on, Ridder struggled with turnovers, and the Falcons didn’t perform well.
Recently, Ridder was traded to Arizona, where he’s competing with Clayton Tune to be the backup quarterback behind Kyler Murray. Reflecting on his experiences, Ridder wants to approach the game with a different mindset.
He expressed his desire to play more freely and confidently, rather than worrying about making mistakes.
Ridder believes that by playing within the team’s system and focusing on the positives from his past performances, he can improve his game.
Although Ridder acknowledges that he had moments of success in previous games, he recognizes that his mistakes had a significant impact on the outcomes. In many games, despite performing well most of the time, a few errors proved costly for the team.
While a 90 percent success rate might seem decent, in the NFL, where games are often decided by small margins, minimizing mistakes is crucial for a quarterback’s success. Ridder understands that if he gets another opportunity as a starter, he needs to drastically reduce his errors to establish himself as a reliable long-term option in that role.
