Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Desmond Ridder (4) walks off after running in a touchdown in the second quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 3 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Indianapolis Colts at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. The Colts led 24-7 at halftime. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Cincinnati Bearcats Star Desmond Ridder Signs With New NFL Team After Time With Bengals

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bearcats on SI
By Russell Heltman | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 4:20 PM ET

Desmond Ridder has a new NFL home after spending training camp this season with the Cincinnati Bengals. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the Bearcats legend is signing with the Minnesota Vikings, who are coincidentally playing the Bengals this week.

Ridder performed poorly for the Bengals across the preseason but banks another shot to develop and stick with a team after getting drafted in the historic 2022 Bearcats class.

"You can't blame anything on [a lack of] reps like that," Ridder noted to the media about his poor performance against the Colts to close the 2025 preseason. "In this game, in this profession, you gotta be able to put it together when your name is called on, so it doesn't matter whether you're getting 10 reps or 100 reps, you gotta be ready to go."

He is now on his fifth team after time with the Falcons, Cardinals, Bengals, and Raiders. The Vikings are bringing him in after an injury to starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, setting Carson Wentz to start this weekend, and Ridder is now his backup.

Rookie quarterback Max Brosmer was the new backup, but he does not have any NFL game experience.