Ridder completed 23 of 39 pass attempts for 208 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while rushing five times for 28 yards in Monday's 15-9 loss to the Falcons. Ridder got a spot-start in place of injured starter Aidan O'Connell (knee) on Monday, squaring off against the team that drafted the backup in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old Ridder was inconsistent in his first start for Las Vegas, committing a pair of turnovers before cashing in a late garbage-time touchdown in the loss. O'Connell's injury isn't considered serious, so there is a good chance Ridder returns to the bench for Sunday's tilt against Jacksonville.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Desmond Ridder news
Team
Las Vegas Raiders
Birthdate
8/31/1999 (25)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'3", 207 lbs
Draft Info
2022: Rd 3; Pk (ATL)
Birthplace
Louisville, KY, USA
Position
QB
College
Cincinnati
Experience
3 seasons
Career History
Las Vegas Raiders
2024-Present
(1 season)
Arizona Cardinals
2024-2024
(1 season)
Atlanta Falcons
2022-2024
(2 seasons)
Ridder completed 23 of 39 pass attempts for 208 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while rushing five times for 28 yards in Monday's 15-9 loss to the Falcons. Ridder got a spot-start in place of injured starter Aidan O'Connell (knee) on Monday, squaring off against the team that drafted the backup in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The 24-year-old Ridder was inconsistent in his first start for Las Vegas, committing a pair of turnovers before cashing in a late garbage-time touchdown in the loss. O'Connell's injury isn't considered serious, so there is a good chance Ridder returns to the bench for Sunday's tilt against Jacksonville.
With Aidan O'Connell (knee) inactive, Ridder is slated to start Monday night's game against the Falcons, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports. O'Connell suffered a bone bruise to his left knee late in the third quarter of the Raiders' 28-13 loss to the Buccaneers in Week 14 and was replaced by Ridder, who went on to complete 12 of his 18 passes for 101 yards to close out the contest. With O'Connell, who officially was listed as questionable after missing three straight practices, sidelined Monday, Ridder will draw his first start for the Raiders against the team that took him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In that context, in the last game on the NFL's Week 15 slate, Ridder is an option for managers who would normally utilize O'Connell in their fantasy lineups or who have an opening in super flex formats.
Ridder is expected to start Monday's contest against the Falcons with Aidan O'Connell (knee) seemingly a game-time decision, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Ridder has been Las Vegas' expected starter approaching Week 16 action, but O'Connell (knee), who is officially listed as questionable, will have a chance to log a pre-game workout to determine his availability. Official word on O'Connell's status will arrive no later than 90 minutes prior to Monday's 8:30 p.m. ET kickoff, but fantasy managers should brace for the eventually of it being Ridder who commands the Raiders' offense, which will be led by top wideout Jakobi Meyers, rookie phenom Brock Bowers, and backfield riser Sincere McCormick.
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Monday that Ridder is expected to start against the Falcons in Week 15, though the team still is waiting for updates on the health of Aidan O'Connell (knee), Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports. Ridder appears in line for at least a spot start under center Week 15 and potentially a longer run in the No. 1 role, depending on the severity of O'Connell's injury. The 25-year-old quarterback was solid in relief during Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Buccaneers, entering with just over 14 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He completed 12 of 18 passes for 101 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, while also rushing twice for three yards. He recovered his only fumble.
Ridder entered Sunday's 28-13 loss to the Buccaneers for Aidan O'Connell (knee) with 14:03 remaining in the fourth quarter and completed 12 of 18 passes for 101 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also rushed twice for three yards and fumbled once but recovered. Ridder had most recently seen playing time in Week 12 against the Chiefs, so rust wasn't an issue for the third-year pro. Ridder was able to lead the Raiders to three points on his second possession, although he did see a would-be interception reversed on replay during the drive. Considering O'Connell's injured leg was placed in an air cast and the second-year signal-caller was carted off Sunday, Ridder appears to have a good chance of drawing a start against his former Falcons squad in a Week 15 home matchup Monday night, Dec. 16.
Ridder completed five of 10 passes for 64 yards after replacing replacing Gardner Minshew (collarbone) during Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Broncos. Ridder added three rushing yards on one carry. Minshew took a sack late in the fourth quarter and suffered a broken collarbone that will cost him the rest of the season, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Ridder took over for the Raiders and was sacked himself two plays later, losing a fumble, but on his one full drive under center he nearly led Las Vegas to a touchdown, only for Tre Tucker to be ruled down short of the goal line inside the final minute. Aidan O'Connell (thumb) will be eligible to return from IR for a Week 13 trip to Kansas City, but if he's not ready Ridder would be in line for his first start of the season. There's also a chance the Raiders could bring in a quarterback like Daniel Jones from outside the organization.
Ridder will remain the Raiders' backup quarterback in Sunday's game against the Dolphins after head coach Antonio Pierce announced Wednesday that Gardner Minshew will retain starting duties, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports. Though Minshew was pulled early for performance-related reasons for the third time in seven starts in the Raiders' Week 9 loss to the Bengals, Pierce said coming out of a Week 10 bye that Minshew gives the team the best chance to win. Ridder came on in relief of Minshew versus Cincinnati and wasn't overly impressive, as he completed 11 of 16 passes for 74 yards (4.6 YPA) and a touchdown, but he also lost a fumble. While Minshew will keep the job for now, he remains a weekly candidate to be benched if he struggles to move the offense, so it may not be long before Ridder gets another opportunity.
Ridder took over for an ineffective Gardner Minshew with 5:02 remaining in the third quarter of Sunday's 41-24 loss to the Bengals and completed 11 of 16 passes for 74 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions while rushing once for two yards and losing a fumble. A rusty Ridder, who'd last put up a regular-season attempt in Week 18 of the 2023 campaign with the Falcons, mostly stuck to short passes and took four sacks overall. However, Ridder also managed to lead a six-play, 70-yard touchdown march late in the fourth quarter that he capped with a 22-yard touchdown strike to Brock Bowers. Considering the Raiders are now 2-7 and have a Week 10 bye on tap, head coach Antonio Pierce may opt to give Ridder a chance to take over the starting job during a Week 11 road trip to Miami.
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Friday that Ridder will work as the backup to Gardner Minshew during Sunday's game against the Chiefs, Heidi Fang of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Ridder was inked by Las Vegas off Arizona's practice squad Monday, so it's unlikely that he's fully acclimated to his new team's playbook quite yet. With Aidan O'Connell (thumb) on IR and out at least four games, Ridder looks primed to hold onto the backup role behind Minshew for at least the next month. In the event that Minshew's struggles under center continue, Ridder may even have an opportunity to compete for more significant reps at quarterback.