Getty Falcons sign QB Desmond Ridder to rookie deal.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder made things officially official with the Atlanta Falcons by signing his rookie deal on Tuesday, July 19.
Per ESPN’s NFL insider, Field Yates, Ridder agreed to terms on a 4-year rookie contract, which has him slated to make $5,362,962 including a $1,080,336 signing bonus.
Falcons QB Desmond Ridder has agreed to his 4-year rookie deal with $5,362,962 and includes a $1,080,336 signing bonus.
The Falcons have now signed all eight of their rookies from their 2022 NFL Draft class.
We have officially signed @desmondridder ✍️
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As any rookie knows, the transition from the college level to the pro level is difficult––especially for quarterbacks.
But to Ridder’s surprise, it’s been quite a breeze.
“The overall knowledge of the offense – I’m not going to lie, I thought I would come in and struggle a little bit,” Ridder said, via AtlantaFalcons.com. “We’re almost all the way through all of our installs and putting in all those checks, and I have a good grasp of it. That surprised me, honestly. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have picked it up, but I thought it might’ve taken a bit longer, a couple of extra days. I’ve been able to pick up on it pretty smoothly.”
He has even naturally taken well to the leadership aspect, which is important as a quarterback.
“It was just the flow of it, the way my sentences are coming out in the huddle to the command I have at the line of scrimmage, just seeing the defense and seeing the offense,” Ridder said. “Everything just came to me.”
How well Ridder has been catching onto things isn’t going unnoticed. Head coach and offensive guru Arthur Smith, definitely likes what he has seen so far.
“Behind the scenes, the things that he has done, as a rookie, really from the neck up,” Smith said during a press conference on June 15. “How he’s operating, when we’re doing the rookie walk-throughs, when we do these installations and on the field, and his command. Then you’re betting on some of the physical things you see at times to catch up. He’s light years ahead of most young quarterbacks, in terms of playing from the neck up. I will give him that compliment.”
Round 1 – Pick 8 (8 overall): Southern California wide receiver Drake London ($24.6 million)
Round 2-Pick 7 (38 overall): Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie ($9.69 million)
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