Former Cardinals QB Released by Bengals

Ridder now hits the open market after signing with the organization this offseason. Bengals on SI believes Ridder could be a practice squad candidate in Cincinnati behind Joe Burrow and Jake Browning.

Desmond Ridder's Career Path

Ridder first entered the league as a third-round pick with the Atlanta Falcons.

Ridder spent the first two years of his career with the Falcons, starting 17 of 19 games in Atlanta. Ridder completed 63.6% of his passes for 3,544 yards and 14 TD to 12 INT.

In the 2024 offseason, Ridder was dealt to the Cardinals in exchange for Rondale Moore.

Ridder didn't impress in camp, ultimately losing the QB2 battle to Clayton Tune (who was cut by Arizona yesterday). The Cardinals waived Ridder and re-signed him to their practice squad.

His stay in the desert didn't last long, as Ridder was plucked from the Las Vegas Raiders after Aidan O'Connell hit injured reserve. He appeared in six games for the Raiders with one official start.

Desmond Ridder's Time in Arizona

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon was always complimentary of Ridder during his short stint in the desert.

"He had some good balls in there. I thought he made some plays with his legs. I'm sure, just like Clayton (Tune), he wants some plays back. Would have liked to see the last play get off, but we didn't get it done," Gannon said after Ridder's preseason performance last year.

Ridder - after transitioning to the practice squad - gave the Cardinals a nice look as a mobile scout team look.

"Dez will do a good job for us. They're both mobile guys and we've got a few things that we're going to do in practice to make sure we're on point with that," Gannon said.

"There's always the element of game day is a little bit different than the practice field, but we'll try to mimic as much as we can so our guys are ready.”

The Cardinals could possibly look into bringing Ridder back, though it doesn't feel likely.