Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Desmond Ridder left Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans to be evaluated for a concussion. He did not return to the contest despite being cleared from the concussion protocol.
It was a bit of a confusing situation, with some speculating that he was benched for Taylor Heinicke because of performance. So, what happened?
Read on for the latest injury updates on Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder.
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Desmond Ridder Injury Update for Fantasy Football
The circumstances around Desmond Ridder's Week 8 performance are still unclear. He was 8-for-12 for 71 yards at the time he left the game. He'd gained 26 rushing yards on three carries but was also sacked five times.
Head coach Arthur Smith says that Ridder wasn't benched for performance, even though he was cleared to return to the game. Was Smith just playing it safe with Ridder?
He also hasn't indicated if Riddwe will be ready to go this week when the Falcons take on the Minnesota Vikings. It's all a bit of a mess right now in Atlanta.
Desmond Ridder Fantasy Football Outlook
Desmond Ridder has had a couple of games with big numbers this year, including a pair of 300-yard passing nights. However, the second-year quarterback out of Cincinnati has struggled at times as well. Not counting his abbreviated game on Sunday, he has two other games where he failed to throw a touchdown. He's also thrown multiple interceptions twice.
Add in the uncertainty surrounding his status for Sunday's game against the Vikings and growing concerns about Heinicke replacing him and there's just not a lot of reasons for fantasy managers to look Ridder's way in Week 9.
Fantasy managers should play it safe at quarterback this week. Ridder isn't a starting option unless there's just no other starting quarterback that can be played in your league.
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