It’s safe to assume that the Atlanta Falcons believe they’re just a quarterback away from truly contending for a championship.
After finishing 7-10 last season with Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder struggling to maintain consistency, the Falcons are starting over from scratch with their coaching staff. Former interim head coach Raheem Morris is now at the helm as the full-time leader, and he’s made it abundantly clear where the focus will be this NFL offseason.
Raheem Morris Sounds Off on Atlanta’s QB Room
“If we had better quarterback play, I may not be standing here at the podium,” Morris said during his availability session at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
2023 saw mid-round quarterback Ridder throw for under 3,000 yards while completing 64% of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was benched multiple times during the season for former Washington Commanders backup Heinicke, who completed just 54% of his passes with a 1-3 record as a starter.
Despite the top talent on both sides of the ball, poor QB play sunk Atlanta into losing four of their final five games to miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year.
Atlanta has plenty of top personnel at almost every position group — a sure sign of a team ready to compete against the top teams in the conference. First-round picks Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson lead a collection of talented skill players, while the offensive line has consistently been a bright spot over the years.
Pair that up with a defense that, last year, finished in the top 10 against the pass (11th overall), and the Falcons believe that getting a signal-caller who can consistently move the ball downfield might change their whole fortune.
Luckily for the fans and the organization as a whole, quarterbacks are expected to be available both in the draft, free agency, and potentially via a trade. Those options potentially available to the team have allowed even Morris to think of greener pastures with the current QB room.
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“It’s really exciting with the quarterback group that is out there. That’s what makes a fan base, front office, and coaching staff all excited.”
When discussing potential trade partners for the likes of a quarterback such as Chicago Bears former first-rounder Justin Fields, Morris won’t get himself “in trouble” with charges of tampering and other concerns that could potentially be brought on.
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