Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Falcons QB Desmond Ridder agrees to four-year rookie contract

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Jul 19, 2022 2:57 PM ET

As Kevin Patra explained for the NFL's website, the Atlanta Falcons were one of eight teams that had rookies scheduled to report for training camp sessions on Tuesday. Quarterback and third-round draft pick Desmond Ridder could have been missing among Atlanta's first-year pros, though, as he hadn't yet come to terms with the club on his rookie contract.

Per ESPN's Field Yates, that is no longer a problem for the Falcons or the second signal-caller drafted this past spring:

Falcons QB Desmond Ridder has agreed to his 4-year rookie deal with $5,362,962 and includes a $1,080,336 signing bonus.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 19, 2022

According to Dave Choate of The Falcoholic, Atlanta now has every member of its 2022 draft class under contract.

The Falcons had a fascinating offseason regarding the sport's most important position. They missed out on landing star quarterback Deshaun Watson and then traded veteran Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts before they signed Marcus Mariota in free agency and then drafted Ridder.

Back in early May, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot suggested Ridder will be given an opportunity to compete with Mariota for the starting job this summer even though Mariota presumably will enter training camp with a significant advantage over the rookie. Ridder, meanwhile, remarked last month that Mariota has been "like a big brother to me" throughout springtime workouts as the two got to know each other.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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