The Las Vegas Raiders have officially 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 an injury to starter Aidan O’Connell, who sustained a thumb fracture on his right hand during the team’s recent defeat against the Los Angeles Rams.
O’Connell had recently taken over the starting role after Gardner Minshew was benched the previous week. However, due to his injury, O’Connell has been placed on injured reserve and is set to miss at least four games.
Minshew’s struggles continued, as he contributed to the team’s woes by throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown in the Rams game. He is currently tied for the league’s worst turnover count, sharing the top spot with Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis with 10 turnovers.
In addition to Ridder, the Raiders have undrafted rookie quarterback Carter Bradley on their practice squad. Ridder, 25, has played 19 games in his career, throwing for 3,544 yards with a completion rate of 64.0%, accumulating 14 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He was selected as the 74th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft from the University of Cincinnati, where he was a college teammate of Raiders receiver Tre Tucker.