The Minnesota Vikings have signed former Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Desmond Ridder following the brutal JJ McCarthy injury update.
On Monday, news broke that JJ McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks. The second-year quarterback had a rough Week 2 performance against the Atlanta Falcons, turning the ball over thrice and getting sacked six times in an ugly 22-6 defeat.
Veteran journeyman Carson Wentz and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer were the only healthy QBs on the Vikings roster for 24 hours, but general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah decided to add another insurance policy ahead of Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the Vikings have signed Desmond Ridder to their 53-man roster. Ridder was let go by the Bengals ahead of final roster cuts last month.
Wentz will start Week 3 against Cincinnati, but head coach Kevin O’Connell may give Desmond Ridder a look if the former Philadelphia Eagles’ star fails to produce.
The Bengals also lost their starting quarterback, Joe Burrow, to injury in Week 2. They also made a notable move at QB on Tuesday, signing former New York Jets fan favorite Mike White.
Desmond Ridder Gets A Fresh Start With Vikings
Ridder was considered one of the top quarterback prospects in a 2022 NFL Draft class that was weak on signal-callers. He was the second quarterback taken that year at No. 74 overall by the Falcons, after Kenny Pickett went to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 20.
Desmond Ridder started 17 games over two seasons on a mediocre Falcons team, going 8-9 with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He never got a fair chance to succeed in Atlanta, and Kirk Cousins’ struggles in 2024 prove that.
He also got one start on a lousy Las Vegas Raiders team last year. But finally, Ridder lands on a competitive team in Minnesota, led by the reigning Offensive Coach of the Year. If the Vikings end up giving Ridder a look, he just might manage to enjoy a career revival of some sort like Sam Darnold in 2024.
