3 NFL quarterbacks that should be benched in Week 18

The Week 17 afternoon slate gave us plenty of high-stakes NFL football. The No. 1 seed was clinched in both conferences. The New Orleans Saints made a strong push in the NFC South, while the Philadelphia Eagles cratered in a favorable (and important) matchup.

As we edge closer to the final week of the NFL season — not to mention a whole new year — NFL front offices and coaching staffs will take stock of their roster one last time. The QB play around the league has been especially erratic in 2023, largely due to injuries and unfortunate circumstances. For the first time in a long time, folks are genuinely arguing for a non-QB to win MVP. It won't happen. That award belongs to Lamar Jackson. But, we are starting to understand the value of elite complementary talent.

That said, it's still impossible to win at the highest level without baseline competence under center. Brock Purdy might not win MVP, or even be deserving of consideration, but he's a rock-solid QB. The same can be said for Tua Tagovailoa in Miami, or Jared Goff in Detroit. You can win with good. You absolutely cannot win with bad.

The question of 'which QBs should be benched' in Week 18 takes on another dynamic compared to weeks past. A, it's the final game. Teams know whether or not they have something to play for. B, teams who have clinched their spot can rest their QBs without fear of repercussions.

So, here are the QBs who should be planted on the pine once next Sunday rolls around.

3. Falcons should bench Taylor Heinicke and let Desmond Ridder finish the season

Well... the Atlanta Falcons' season is all but over. The Falcons aren't mathematically eliminated, but it's close. The NFL's website gives Atlanta a 10 percent chance to crack the playoffs. It would require beating the Saints in Week 18 while the Bucs lose to last-place Carolina — an improbability.

That said, the Falcons still need to put their best foot forward and give it the old college try. Unfortunately, that probably means putting Desmond Ridder back in the driver's seat. Taylor Heinicke has simply not been the reliable vet Atlanta needs. He struggled in Ridder's stead on Sunday, completing 10-of-29 passes for 163 yards and committing three interceptions in Atlanta's loss to Chicago.

The Falcons cannot trust Ridder to play smart, efficient football... but they can't expect that with Heinicke either. There is more upside tied to Ridder, who is still in his first year of proper NFL football. The Falcons are definitely going to move on in 2024. Ridder's days as the starter are numbered. In fact, that number is either zero or one. That said, there have been enough flashes to trust the Cincinnati product over Heinicke in next week's win-or-go home rivalry game. That is a depressing reality. Ridder is not a good quarterback. But, Arthur Smith's hands are tied. What else can he do?

This is the bed Atlanta's front office and coaching staff made. The Falcons spent countless first-round picks on offensive playmakers, only to spurn Lamar Jackson in free agency and focus on Ridder as their dude. It backfired, but with the postseason still in reach, maybe the 24-year-old can deliver one miracle on his way out the door.