Even though the Ravens ended up putting the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson on Tuesday, the star quarterback isn't completely bound to Baltimore.
The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the 26-year-old, meaning he still is free to talk with other teams around the league in search of a long-term deal. If another organization brings an offer to the table, the Ravens will have a chance to match and if they don't, Baltimore would receive two first-round draft picks in return.
That's a lot to give up for a franchise-altering quarterback with an injury history and one NFC team already is taking itself out of the running for Jackson.
According to ESPN's Dianna Russini, the Atlanta Falcons will not pursue Jackson this offseason. The Miami Dolphins reportedly are choosing the same approach as well.
The Falcons certainly could use an explosive quarterback following a 7-10 season in 2022. But after already cutting ties with Marcus Mariota, who started 13 games in his lone season with Atlanta, it appears the Falcons are comfortable with having Desmond Ridder seize control of the offense.
The Falcons took Ridder in the third round of last year's draft, and the Cincinnati product played in four games last season, leading Atlanta to a 2-2 record. In the small sample size, Ridder completed 63.5% of his passes for 708 yards while tossing two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
With an important season ahead for Ridder, the Falcons will want to see what they have in him and bypass any temptation to go after Jackson.
