Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay laughs off the claim by new Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder in which he predicts a Super Bowl victory.
The Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the AFC West since 2016, and Mahomes has led the team to four consecutive AFC Championship games since 2018.
Of those four seasons in which the Chiefs became one of the top two AFC teams, the Chiefs advanced to two Super Bowls and won one of them in the 2019 season.
If it’s that challenging for a consistently dominant team like the Chiefs to win a Super Bowl, then Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder needs a reality check on his Super Bowl claim — and Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. was more than happy to give it to him.
Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay calls out Desmond Ridder for Super Bowl promise
There’s nothing wrong with confident talk, as Ridder was trying to show Atlanta the kind of player they drafted with the No. 74 pick in the third round. Saying that the franchise would get a Super Bowl out of him demonstrates that he is a qualified, talented quarterback who is capable of leading a team all the way to winning in the biggest game of all.
Of course, Gay Jr.’s point is valid too — determination aside, it’s just not that easy to win a Super Bowl.
If Ridder did win a Super Bowl, it would be a franchise first. The Falcons, who have been around since 1966, have only appeared in two Super Bowls: one in 1998, and one in 2016. Their 34-19 loss to the Denver Broncos in 1998 was a significant loss, but nothing compares to what the Falcons did when they blew a 28-3 third-quarter lead against the New England Patriots. That 34-28 overtime loss lives in infamy, and perhaps Ridder could be the one to change the narrative about blown Atlanta leads.
A message of optimism could do well for a franchise that has endured heartache over the past few years, especially with the losses of Julio Jones and Matt Ryan. Ridder could be the one to deliver, but a Super Bowl promise right out of the gate could be a little premature.