Falcons gets criticized by fans after Desmond Ridder gets benched for Taylor Heinicke in Week 8 - “Should’ve got Lamar Jackson” 

The Atlanta Falcons made the decision to bench quarterback Desmond Ridder on Sunday. Taylor Heinicke then took over for the Falcons. It was initially reported that it was a coach's decision and that Ridder had been benched. Then reports came in that Ridder may have suffered an injury.

The Atlanta Falcons struggled on Sunday as they faced the Tennessee Titans on the road. Before exiting the game, Ridder was just eight for 12 for 71 yards. He also had three rushes for a total of 26 yards.

Fans on social media were criticial of the Atlanta Falcons. Many of them supported the Falcons making a trade for Lamar Jackson during the offseason. That, of course, was before the quarterback signed an extension with the Baltimore Ravens.

Others said the quarterback change should have occurred a few weeks ago when Ridder's struggles began to show. Below are some of the comments by NFL fans on X, formerly known as Twitter:

Does QB Desmond Ridder have an injury?

When Taylor Heinicke entered the game as the Atlanta Falcons quarterback, fans immediately believed Ridder was benched. The team hadn't released an injury designation for their quarterback, so that was the consensus.

"And Falcons QB Taylor Heinicke has replaced Desmond Ridder, who is being evaluated for a concussion."

However, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter took to social media to report that Ridder was injured. Schefter said Ridder was being evaluated for a possible concussion and was out of the game.

Falcons will have to wait and see whether this was an injury or if Ridder will be benched moving forward.

QB Desmond Ridder stats in 2023

The Atlanta Falcons drafted quarterback Desmond Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He had a successful collegiate career at Cincinnati and was seen as a Matt Ryan's successor.

He started four games last season after Marcus Mariota was benched. The Falcons wanted to see if Ridder had what it took to be a starter in the NFL. He went 2-2 in that stretch and completed 73 of 115 pass attempts for two touchdowns.

He earned the starting job at the start of the 2023 NFL season. Heading into Week 8 of this season, Ridder led the Falcons to a 4-3 record. He completed just 149 passes out in 228 attempts for a 65.4% completion rate. He has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions.