The Las Vegas Raiders have officially signed quarterback Desmond Ridder from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday. This move comes in response to starter Aidan O’Connell suffering a thumb injury on his throwing hand during Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Ridder, who had a record of 8-9 in 19 games with the Atlanta Falcons, will fill the gap left by O’Connell, who was placed on injured reserve and will be sidelined for at least four games. O’Connell had recently taken over the starting role from Gardner Minshew, who struggled in the previous game, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown against the Rams.
Currently, Minshew is tied for the league lead in turnovers, with a total of 10, matching Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis. The Raiders also have undrafted rookie Carter Bradley available on their practice squad.
At 25 years old, Ridder has thrown for 3,544 yards with a completion rate of 64%, recording 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions during his NFL career. He was selected as the 74th overall pick in the 2022 draft after a successful college career at Cincinnati, where he notably played alongside Raiders receiver Tre Tucker.