Desmond

Ridder

Ridder was in a battle with Clayton Tune to back up Kyler Murray. The third-year quarterback completed 20-of-35 passes for 225 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions in his three preseason outings while adding another 63 yards on the ground. Things haven’t clicked for Ridder since he entered the league as a third-round pick back in 2022. While playing in a broken Arthur Smith offense did him no favors, Ridder has thrown for 3544-14-12 in 19 career games and has 10 lost fumbles to his name. He’ll likely find a spot on another team’s practice squad, and could even return to the Cardinals if another team doesn’t scoop him up in the coming days.

Ridder took a shot late in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s preseason game and immediately made his way to the sideline. Ridder landing in concussion protocol could force the Cardinals to place him on injured reserve for initial roster cutdowns, which would likely make Clayton Tune the Cardinals’ QB2 to open the season. Ridder will likely be cleared in time for Week 1, but with cutdowns coming Tuesday, it’s unlikely he’ll be cleared before the deadline.

Tune drew the start and had a passable performance before being pulled for Desmond Ridder. An injury to Ridder late in the fourth quarter forced Tune back on the field with the Cardinals already in scoring range. Unfortunately, on his first play back, Tune threw a catchable pass to Broncos linebacker Levelle Bailey, who returned it 96 yards for a touchdown. It was a brutal break for Tune, who is battling with Ridder to be the backup for Kyler Murray to open the season. Ridder didn’t fare much better throwing for 111 scoreless yards on 10-of-16 passing, but he also didn’t turn the ball over. We’ll see how this competition shakes out in the coming days, but it’s safe to say neither quarterback would have much fantasy upside if they were to be forced to start.

Tune and Desmond Ridder are in a battle to back up Kyler Murray. In two preseason games, Tune has thrown for 242 yards and one touchdown while completing 67.6 percent of his passes, while Ridder has thrown for 114 yards with a 52.6 completion percentage. Tune has also rushed for 24 yards and a score. Tune started the Cardinals’ second preseason game against the Colts last week. The fact that he’s getting a chance to make another start to close out the preseason could suggest that the backup job is Tune’s to lose.

The Cardinals needed a new backup for Kyler Murray, and that is what Ridder decisively proved to be in Atlanta: A backup. He might not even be a particularly good one, though he at least now has 17 games of starting experience. Stiff and un-explosive, Ridder turns 25 in August and has not hinted at a second gear in the NFL. He does at least offer a little bit with his legs when he breaks free from his robotic motions in the pocket.

Things appear to be moving surprisingly quickly in Ridder trade world. A stiff and robotic starter, Ridder wouldn’t be a great backup, either, but he’s at least experienced. Ridder would be zero threat to Kyler Murray’s status in the desert even if Murray continues to underperform in 2024.

With Kirk Cousins now under contract, the Falcons will look to move Ridder, a former third-round pick, to another team. Ridder having a trade market as a reclamation project wouldn’t be surprising, but it’s hard to imagine a team offering up anything more than a late Day 3 pick. Ridder has struggled mightily through two seasons as a pro, throwing for 3544-14-12 and ranking near the top of the league in turnover-worthy play rate. Ridder could earn a backup job on the right team, but shouldn’t be considered as a starter moving forward.

It sounds like the Falcons are willing to do anything they deem necessary to secure a top rookie in this year’s draft if that’s the route they ultimately decide to take. Currently holding the No. 8 overall pick, the Falcons could have enough draft capital to trade into the top three if that’s what’s required to secure their guy. Former third-round pick Desmond Ridder has played in 19 career games since being drafted by the Falcons in 2022, throwing for 3,544-14-12 while adding another 257 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. At this stage in his career, Ridder looks more like a serviceable backup than a quarterback who is going to change the trajectory of an. With a chance to potentially draft a franchise quarterback in this April’s draft, the Falcons are smartly keeping the door open for whoever that may be.

Even coming off one of his best performances of the year, it was a poor season for Desmond Ridder, who completed 249-of-388 passes (64.2 percent completion rate) for 2,836 yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He did add five rushing touchdowns and 193 yards on the ground, but he was never able to push the ball down the field with any consistency and was benched on two separate occasions for Tyler Heinicke. Despite being under contract for two more seasons, it’s apparent that Ridder is not the answer in Atlanta and his dead cap hit is actually less than Heinicke’s, which means the team could decide to move on from Ridder and keep Heinicke as the back-up for 2024. Whatever direction Atlanta chooses to go in, Ridder is not a recommended fantasy option in any format.

Heinicke should be the Falcons’ starter if active, but that is now up in the air because of the ankle issue. Based on Arthur Smith’s comments from earlier in the week, Heinicke sounds like a true game-time call. If he can’t go, Desmond Ridder will return to the starting lineup. Either way, expect another absurdly run-heavy approach from the Falcons as they cling to their playoff aspirations.