Atlanta Falcons Head Coach Arthur Smith is making a QB change, at least for now. Arthur Smith named Taylor Heinicke as the Falcons starting QB for the Week 9 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, but he was pretty careful to specify that the change was for this week, not necessarily for the remainder of the season.
Desmond Ridder did not play in the 2nd half of the Falcons loss to the Titans and the offense looked much better with Taylor Heinicke taking the snaps. Desmond Ridder will still be serving as the backup QB, so he has clearly advanced through concussion protocols and health is not the deciding factor in this decision.
While the Falcons are 4-4, they are also tied atop the NFC South and could be making the QB change in an attempt to push for the playoffs with Taylor Heinicke leading the way.