Get to know Raiders' new quarterback signing Desmond Ridder (2025)

Oct 22, 2024 at 04:44 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

Get to know Raiders' new quarterback signing Desmond Ridder (2)

The Las Vegas Raiders signed quarterback Desmond Ridder off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad Tuesday.

Ridder, who has totaled 17 career starts, now joins Gardner Minshew II and Carter Bradley in the quarterback room after Aidan O'Connell was placed on injured reserve (thumb).

Here are a few things you should know about the Raiders' new addition.

22-2

The Louisville, Kentucky, native committed to the University of Cincinnati, being initially recruited by Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor who was the school's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the time.

It was one of two of Ridder's Division I offers, and he ultimately took the Bearcats to new heights during his tenure. He was named the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Offensive Player of the Year in his last two collegiate seasons, totaling 5,630 passing yards, 49 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns in that span. He also led the Bearcats to a 22-2 record from 2020-2021 with the only two loses being a three-point loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl and to Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.

While winning the AAC Championship in both of those seasons, Cincinnati also became the first Group of Five school to make the College Football Playoffs with an 11-0 regular season record in 2021.

"PERFECT FAKE!"
Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder keeps it for the 40-yard touchdown 🔥
(📍 @NavyFederal) pic.twitter.com/shauZ0qYdF
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 20, 2021

Welcome to the NFL

Ridder was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 74th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and became the highest Cincinnati quarterback to be drafted since Greg Cook in 1969.

As a rookie, he sat behind Marcus Mariota for the majority of the season before becoming the starter in Week 15. Ridder finished with a 2-2 starting record that season, totaling 708 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 86.4 passer rating.

The promise he showcased at the tail end of his rookie season was enough to keep the job going into his season season, in whic he appeared in 15 games. He finished the 2023 season with a 64.2 completion percentage, 2,836 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns.

.@desmondridder’s got his 1st career passing TD!
📺: #TBvsATL on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/VSPUYuqVbR pic.twitter.com/uT32TdrOI7
— NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023

Chemistry with No. 11

The quarterback also comes into the locker room familiar with receiver Tre Tucker. Very familiar.

The two were teammates at Cincinnati for three seasons, building a strong rapport as team stacked up wins and conference championships. In Tucker's college tenure with Ridder as his starting quarterback, he racked up 754 receiving yards, 59 receptions and five receiving touchdowns.

Tucker is now one of the Raiders' top receivers. The speedster is ranked third on the team in receptions (26), targets (35) and receiving yards (226). If Ridder's number is called this season, Tucker could be an immediate beneficiary of him as the Raiders signal-caller.

View director of photography Michael Clemens' top picks of black and white photos from the Raiders' Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.

Get to know Raiders' new quarterback signing Desmond Ridder (3)

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Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo's (5) pads in the locker room prior to the Las Vegas Raiders' arrival for their regular season away game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.