Vikings Steal QB from Bengals Roster
J.J. McCarthy is battling a high ankle sprain, and the Minnesota Vikings need one more quarterback for insurance purposes.
With a circus of injuries for the Vikings, the club signed a semi-notable quarterback this week to serve as insurance in the next few weeks.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah nominated Desmond Ridder for that task on Tuesday, the newest Viking in a season utterly rocked by injuries. Minnesota perused NFL teams’ practice squads and decided the pilfer from the Cincinnati Bengals, Ridder’s employer until Tuesday, made the most sense.
Meet the Vikings’ New QB3
Ridder is in the house, at least for a few weeks.
Desmond Ridder to Vikings
Minnesota was abruptly in the market for an extra able-bodied passer, and Ridder is the guy.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with free agent quarterback Desmond Ridder on Tuesday, giving them a third healthy QB with starter J.J. McCarthy sidelined because of a high right ankle sprain.”
“ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that McCarthy is expected to miss between two and four weeks because of the ankle injury suffered during Sunday’s 22-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.”
Minnesota’s quarterback room now includes J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer, and Ridder.
Ridder’s Resume
Ridder has started 18 games in the pros with the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders, and those clubs have tallied an 8-10 (.444) record on his watch. He averages about three rushing attempts per contest, so he’s not afraid to tuck the ball and run, though he’s not known for blazing speed.
All told, Ridder has banked a 16-to-14 touchdown-to-interception split and tosses about 160 passing yards per game. Ridder is pretty damn average and probably needs a fabulous setup to achieve the next quarterback ranking tier.
Here’s his full resume since entering the business as a 3rd-Round pick in 2022:
- Atlanta Falcons (2022–2023)
- Arizona Cardinals (2024)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2024)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2025)
- Minnesota Vikings (2025-now)
Role for the New Guy
Ridder will be the third quarterback in line for the next few weeks — basically until McCarthy has healed from his high ankle sprain. He must live on Minnesota’s active roster after the theft from Cincinnati — that’s the rule.
Tom Pelissero tweeted, “By signing Desmond Ridder to the 53-man roster, not the practice squad, the Vikings gain flexibility to potentially have an experienced starter as QB2, rather than press undrafted rookie Max Brosmer into action if something happens to Carson Wentz.”
That tweet insinuates that Ridder would see any live game action before Brosmer, which will assuredly upset fans. Vikings faithful fell in love with Brosmer during the preseason and have no loyalty to Ridder.
Unlikely to See the Field
Of course, generally speaking, another injury to a Vikings quarterback is unlikely to materialize. In all likelihood, Minnesota will roll with Wentz for a game, two, or three, and when McCarthy is ready, he will retake the offense’s controls.
Ridder is merely in the Twin Cities “just in case.”
The last few weeks have proven that no Vikings player is immune to injury.
Ridder News and Notes
SI.com‘s Russ Heltman noted on Ridder Tuesday: ‘Ridder performed poorly for the Bengals across the preseason, but is getting another shot to develop and stick with a team after getting drafted in the historic 2022 Bearcats class. Ridder is hoping to keep his NFL career alive after a rough couple of seasons in the league.”
“His struggles during training camp and in the preseason with the Bengals sealed his fate in Cincinnati. They moved on from him during final cuts and signed Brett Rypien to the practice squad. Ridder is now on his fifth team after time with the Falcons, Cardinals, Bengals, and Raiders.”
The best-case scenario for Minnesota is not to play Ridder at all. It will have meant that Carson Wentz thrived and/or McCarthy returned to full health sooner than expected.
Hetlman added, “The Vikings are bringing him in after an injury to starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, setting Carson Wentz to start this weekend, and Ridder is now his backup. Rookie quarterback Max Brosmer was the new backup, but he does not have any NFL game experience. The Atlanta Falcons took Ridder in the third round (74th overall) in the 2022 NFL Draft.”
“He’s thrown 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 25 career games and has an 8-10 record as a starter.”
Ridder turned 26 about two weeks ago.
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