Will Desmond Ridder be the Raiders starting QB?
By Austin Boyd
The Las Vegas Raiders made a notable move on Monday with the signing of quarterback Desmond Ridder off of the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. With the Aidan O'Connell injury news, the team needed to make a move at quarterback and Ridder was a bit of a surprise.
However, it makes sense considering where the Raiders are right now. Ridder is a young quarterback who was a third-round pick in 2022. Though he hasn't played well thus far in his career, there's still some potential that could be unlocked.
Gardner Minshew has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL and the Raiders can't afford to have him start the rest of the season. He's a veteran who doesn't have much upside going forward. With Ridder, the team has a quarterback who could show improvement as the season goes on.
The big question is whether or not the plan is for Ridder to start in the near future. It's highly unlikely the Raiders would thrust him into the starting job this week against the Kansas City Chiefs but the plan could be for him to take over soon.
Head coach Antonio Pierce has been adamant about wanting the team to not turn the ball over so much but Minshew already has 10 turnovers on the season. It likely won't take much for Pierce to pull the plug and put Ridder in.
The Raiders should give him some time to learn the offense. One thing that will help is that Tre Tucker, who was one of Ridder's top wide receivers in college, is on the team. Those two should have a rapport.
Ridder likely isn't going to be a long-term starter but he at least gives the Raiders a quarterback with some athleticism and upside for the rest of the season, which is more than they have right now.