Bengals Signing QB Desmond Ridder

He’ll provide some additional depth behind Joe Burrow and Jake Browning and likely compete for the third quarterback job. 

This also marks a return to Cincinnati for Ridder, who attended college for the Bearcats and led the program to a College Football Playoff berth. 

Ridder, 25, was a four-year starter at Cincinnati and quarterbacked the school to a berth in the College Football Playoff in 2021, the first time ever a non-Power 5 school had earned that distinction. The Falcons used the No. 74 overall pick in the third round on him in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Ridder signed a four-year $5,362,959 contract that includes a $1,080,334 signing bonus with the Falcons. He was entering the third year of his deal and was set to make a salary of $985,000 in 2024 when Atlanta traded him to the Cardinals for WR Rondale Moore.

The Raiders signed Ridder off Arizona’s practice squad during the season. Las Vegas declined to tender Ridder an offer as a restricted free agent in February. 

In 2024, Ridder appeared in six games for the Raiders and completed 52 of 85 pass attempts (61.2 percent) for 458 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.