For a lot of Raiders fans, the news that the team signed Desmond Ridder was met with overwhelming apathy. The team is once again back to starting Gardner Minshew – barely a week after benching him – after Aidan O'Connell broke his thumb in Week 7's loss and was put on Injured Reserve.
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In order to get another QB on the roster, the team went out and signed journeyman Desmond Ridder, who was on the Cardinals' practice squad after failing to win the backup job back in August. Now he'll (probably) get a legitimate chance to play again, especially considering how unattached the Raiders seemingly are to Minshew at this point. When meeting with Vegas media for the first time, you could see how much the opportunity meant to him, and at one point Ridder started tearing up when talking about the last few months of his life.
Desmond Ridder's first Raiders press conference was awfully emotional
“I got cut…my daughter was like where are you going? I do everything for my family.”
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) October 23, 2024
Newly signed Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder appears to get choked up upon signing with the team.
Great question by @HeidiFang
🎥: By @Sean_Zittel, Vegas Sports Today#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/meL5tFCGJj
"I was just cut three months ago," he said. "That should be enough opportunity, enough motivation, to keep me going at any time. Back home, I got the call, and my daughter was like, 'Daddy, where are you going?' I'm like, gotta go to Vegas. But I know I'd do everything for them, I'd do everything for my family. It's just another opportunity to go out and prove to them, prove to myself, prove to everyone that I can be out here and go do this ... I know what I can do, I know what I can be, and now I've just got to go do it."
If nothing else, that interview is a great peek into how brutal life in the NFL can be. Ridder was drafted to be the Falcons' QB of the future only two years ago, and he's already on his third team. Considering the average NFL career is less than five years, it speaks to just how tough it really is to keep your job. So much attention is spent on the minority of NFL players who have 10+ year careers, but the reality is that a large percentage of NFL careers play out exactly like Ridder's has.
Who knows how Ridder's time with the Raiders will play out, but it's just nice to see someone get another chance at living out the dream he's been working for since he was a kid. Maybe there are a few nice moments left in this Raiders season after all.