The Las Vegas Raiders have signed quarterback Desmond Ridder from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday. Ridder, previously a third-round draft pick, joins the Raiders following the injury of starter Aidan O’Connell, who suffered a broken thumb on his right hand during the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.
O’Connell had just taken over as the starter after Gardner Minshew was benched last week, but he has now been placed on injured reserve and will be sidelined for at least the next four games. Minshew, who struggled against the Rams, has thrown three interceptions and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, placing him among the league leaders with 10 turnovers this season, tied with Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis.
In addition to Ridder, the Raiders also have undrafted rookie quarterback Carter Bradley on their practice squad. Ridder, 25, has completed 64.0% of his passes for a total of 3,544 yards, along with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his 19 games played. He was selected as the 74th overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Cincinnati and was one of nine quarterbacks drafted that year, alongside Brock Purdy, who was the final pick of that draft. Notably, Ridder was college teammates with Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker.