Vikings Sign a New Quarterback
The Minnesota Vikings announced some troubling news on Monday, the day after the horrendous outing in the home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a sprained ankle that will sideline him for at least one game, the team expects.
Vikings Sign a New Quarterback
A day later, the club was looking for a new passer, as there was nobody on the practice squad, and Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer were the only remaining options. Former third-round pick Desmond Ridder joins the club, elevating the number of healthy QBs on the roster to three.
Ian Rapoport reported on social media, “The #Vikings are signing QB Desmond Ridder to the 53-man roster, with JJ McCarthy suffering an ankle injury, per me and Tom Pelissero.”
Pelissero added, “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.”
He also noted that McCarthy would not be placed on IR, “No injured reserve for J.J. McCarthy, who is week-to-week with a high ankle sprain. But Minnesota is back to three healthy QBs: Carson Wentz, rookie Max Brosmer and Desmond Ridder, the onetime #Falcons starter.”
That indicates that the Vikings expect him to return within the next four games.
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings would actually trust Ridder after just a few days in the building over Brosmer, who had all year to learn the playbook and build a connection with the receivers. Rookie Brosmer was fantastic in the preseason, granted, mostly against players who did not survive the roster cuts in August.
Ridder was recently employed by the Cincinnati Bengals, which is certainly ironic considering the Bengals’ QB2 following Joe Burrow’s injury is Brett Rypien, who was with the Vikings all offseason, including the preseason.
The newest Viking quarterbacked the University of Cincinnati, so his short stint with the Bengals was a homecoming for him. In college, he started 48 games, throwing for 87 touchdowns and rushing for another 28.
Ridder entered the draft in 2022 and was selected by the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota’s last opponent, in the third round. The Falcons relied on him as their starter 17 times in two seasons before moving on in favor of Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. Ridder was traded to Arizona for Rondale Moore, who’s now on Minnesota’s IR. Later that year, he logged some playing time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
In his NFL career, Ridder has played in 25 games (18 starts), accumulating 4,002 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. Ridder has decent athleticism, shown by his 293 rushing yards and five touchdowns as a ball-carrier. He collected an 8-9 record in his 17 starts.
Drew Garrison of the Cincy Jungle wrote last month following Ridder’s release, “Ridder was a fun story in training camp, but he never showed enough to really challenge Jake Browning for the backup quarterback role.”
The Vikings will meet Jake Browning on Sunday. As everyone expected a month ago, it’ll be Browning vs. Wentz.
“Some thought Ridder would legitimately challenge Jake Browning for the backup spot behind Joe Burrow, especially after Browning’s shaky outing in the second week of the preseason,” Garrison added. “Ridder was the first quarterback other than Browning that the Bengals have brought in with real starting experience, but Browning was able to hold him off in camp.”
Wentz will start, and either Brosmer or Ridder will back him up. The other one is likely the emergency QB3.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.