Ex-Vikings QB Signs with Packers
Quarterback Desmond Ridder has signed off and on with the Minnesota Vikings this year, but as a free agent before the postseason, the veteran passer has chosen a sharply different route, signing with the Green Bay Packers on New Year’s Eve.
The move is practical insurance for Jordan Love and Malik Willis, and it also highlights how quickly Minnesota’s fringe QBs can become depth guys elsewhere.
The Packers need temporary quarterback depth with Love and Willis hobbled, picking Ridder for the assignment, who is evidently a darling among NFC North teams.
Green Bay Adds Veteran Depth at Quarterback
Ridder tries on the other side of Interstate 94 for size.
Ridder to Packers
Evidently the elixir to quarterback depth concerns among Midwest teams, Ridder took the plunge with the Packers this week.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky wrote Wednesday, “The Green Bay Packers added a fourth quarterback on Wednesday in case Jordan Love and Malik Willis are held out or unavailable for Sunday’s regular-season finale at the Minnesota Vikings. They signed Desmond Ridder to their practice squad, where they already have quarterback Clayton Tune.”
“Coach Matt LaFleur said that he would rest some starters to prepare for the playoffs but did not say which ones. Love remained in the concussion protocol after missing last Saturday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Willis, who started that game, still has a right shoulder injury.”
Ridder will live on the practice squad and likely be elevated to the active roster on Sunday in Minneapolis to close out 2025.
The Packers Quarterback Situation
Love is recovering from a concussion and won’t play Sunday against the Vikings. He missed last weekend’s game, too, paving the way for Willis to start — and play like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, believe it or not.
But Willis also got hurt against the Ravens, and the Packers turned to Clayton Tune briefly in Week 17. So, with two quarterbacks injured, Love and Willis, Green Bay has onboarded Ridder as insurance, not unlike the Vikings did twice this season when injuries rattled J.J. McCarthy.
Ridder is very vividly the just-in-case guy in 2025.
Packers reporter Mike Spofford wrote this week, “Backup QB Malik Willis came out late due to a reaggravation of his shoulder injury, though he could’ve returned if the Packers had still been within striking distance. He’s expected to be available this week, but LaFleur confirmed Love will be the team’s starter for the playoffs once he’s medically cleared.”
“With the team struggling through a three-game losing streak, getting things back on the right track will be part of the thought process for Week 18 as well. Regardless, with just a 53-man roster and a litany of injuries, plenty of starters will have to play against the Vikings. It’s not like a preseason game with a 90-man roster where all the starters can sit out.”
Ridder’s Resume
Ridder has 18 NFL starts on his ledger, split between Atlanta and Las Vegas. Those teams went 8–10 with him under center. That record tracks with Ridder’s individual skill set.
He’ll move when lanes open and won’t shy from contact, but the running element tops out as functional. Defenses don’t game-plan for it. As a passer, the numbers settle quickly: 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, roughly 160 yards per game Just enough to keep an offense on schedule if everything else cooperates. Not sufficient to tilt anything on his own.
Ridder operates best inside a controlled structure with protection, some separation, and a defense that keeps scores low. Ask for more, and the limitations show up real quick, hence the 8-10 record for his teams.
His career docket in the NFL:
- Atlanta Falcons (2022–2023)
- Arizona Cardinals (2024)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2024)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2025)
- Minnesota Vikings (2025)
- Green Bay Packers (2025)
Perhaps Ridder will eventually sign with a team and find some semi-long-term QB3 staying power. It’s hops, skips, and jumps in 2025.
The Comical Timing
The timing here is a bit funny, as well.
Ridders’ first game on the Packers’ roster? Yeah, that will be against the Vikings. Minnesota and Green Bay are scheduled to close out 2025 this Sunday, and if Willis or Tune suffers an injury, Ridder will presumably saddle up under center and toss the ball at the defense he saw twice this year behind the scenes at practice.
The Vikings and Packers have a long history of exchanging players in free agency, which feels like betrayals, and Ridder will be the latest example, even if most fans don’t care that he signed with Green Bay.
Minnesota is favored to beat Green Bay by seven points as of midweek, mainly because the Packers are expected to rest a bevy of starters.
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