2023 NFL Week 1 starting quarterbacks traded as their teams embark on new directions

Two NFL quarterbacks who started for their respective teams in Week 1 of the 2023 season appeared to be on the move Thursday.

First, multiple reports indicated the Atlanta Falcons agreed to trade quarterback Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals for wide receiver Rondale Moore. The Falcons made the move after agreeing to a four-year deal with Kirk Cousins, which was one of the blockbuster moves of the offseason so far.

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Desmond Ridder of the Atlanta Falcons scrambles against the Saints at Caesars Superdome on Jan. 7, 2024, in New Orleans. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Later in the day, the Washington Commanders reportedly traded quarterback Sam Howell and a 2024 sixth-round draft pick to the Seattle Seahawks for 2024 third- and fifth-round draft picks. With the move, Washington appeared ready to select a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick.

Both teams made their deals official later Thursday.

Both Ridder and Howell were starting quarterbacks in 2023.

Ridder was a former Cincinnati standout who was a third-round selection of the Falcons in 2022. In 2023, he started 13 of the 17 games with 2,836 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Taylor Heinicke got five starts and Logan Woodside started a game for Atlanta in 2023.

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Sam Howell of the Washington Commanders warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on Jan. 7, 2024, in Landover, Maryland. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

The Falcons finished 7-10 for the third straight season and lost out on a playoff spot. The team dumped Arthur Smith as its head coach and hired Raheem Morris. Cousins was signed to add to a hopeful group of upstart players like Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London.

Howell had a ton of hype around him coming out of North Carolina. He fell in the fifth round to the Commanders in 2022. He was named the starter at the onset of the 2023 season and was in each of the 17 games. He threw 21 touchdowns and 21 interceptions, which led the NFL, and had 3,946 yards.

Washington was 4-13 and appeared ready to start over, especially after hiring Dan Quinn as its head coach.

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All eyes will be on the draft to see what either team does to bolster its roster.

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