The Las Vegas Raiders fell to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, losing 20-15. However, the team faced a bigger setback as they also lost their starting quarterback, Aidan O’Connell, to a thumb injury early in the game. Reports indicate that he is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. In light of this, the Raiders sought additional help and signed Desmond Ridder off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad on Monday evening, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Ridder, who was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, has played in 19 games, starting 17 of them. He has completed 64% of his passes for 3,544 yards, recording 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with a career passer rating of 84.1. As a runner, Ridder has accumulated 257 rushing yards, scored five touchdowns, and has fumbled the ball 15 times.
A new QB in Las Vegas: The #Raiders are signing Desmond Ridder off the #Cardinals practice squad, per sources.
Aidan O’Connell is headed to injured reserve and now Ridder, the former #Falcons starter, joins Gardner Minshew in the Raiders QB room. pic.twitter.com/lz1lY0Riis
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 21, 2024
At this point, Ridder’s specific role with the Raiders is still uncertain. With O’Connell out, Las Vegas needed to bolster their quarterback options, as Gardner Minshew and Carter Bradley were the only other quarterbacks on the roster. Ridder could serve as the third emergency quarterback or potentially take over the backup position from Bradley. Given Minshew’s lackluster performance against the Rams, Ridder might even step into the starting role. For now, he provides essential depth to the quarterback position.
Leave a Reply