Cardinals Named Losers After Cutting QB

Was Desmond Ridder really that surprising of a cut?

Aug 10, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Desmond Ridder (19) drops back to pass against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- It's pretty clear who pays close attention to the Arizona Cardinals and who doesn't.

After the Cardinals announced their final roster cuts ahead of the regular season, there was quite the surprise making national headlines after the team released quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Ridder was expected to battle for the QB2 spot in Arizona after being acquired via trade this offseason.

He did battle - before becoming a clear option behind Clayton Tune in both training camp and preseason play.

That's from the opinion of somebody who was at every training camp practice and watched every snap of all three preseason games - many others in the Cardinals media share the exact same opinion.

In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find somebody out here that wouldn't put Tune as QB2 in the desert.

The same can't be said from a national media perspective, where outlets were quite shocked to see Ridder released.

Ridder - who made it through waivers - ultimately re-signed with the Cardinals on their practice squad.

CBS Sports deemed Ridder - and the Cardinals specifically - as "losers" after cut-down day.

"One of the more surprising cuts of the summer came in Arizona with the Cardinals getting rid of Desmond Ridder. His release comes after the team traded wideout Rondale Moore, a former second-round pick, for him in a deal with the Falcons. Instead of seeing that investment through, the franchise gave the QB2 job to Clayton Tune, who completed 55% of his passes in his lone start last season," wrote Tyler Sullivan.

"While Ridder was unable to establish himself as a bonafide starter with the Falcons, he's a serviceable backup who went 6-7 as a starter with an 83.4 passer rating last year. In my estimation, he gave Atlanta the higher floor under center over Tune in the event that Kyler Murray misses time."

Moore was indeed a second-round pick, though it was clear from the start that he simply needed a fresh start elsewhere - that was true for the Cardinals too.

As for Tune - he looked like the better of the two quarterbacks through numerous examples. That's not to put Ridder down - nor praise Tune as a premier backup behind Murray - but the NFL is a straight-forward business, and Ridder simply was the third-best passer out of the group.

Tune's start in Cleveland - also - should absolutely not be held over his head. The Cardinals plugged him in with very little prep time prior during the season and asked a fifth-round rookie to defeat the Cleveland Browns (who had one of the top defenses) on the road.

That's a tall task for most NFL quarterbacks, let alone Tune.

Tune was the right choice of Ridder, and for what it's worth, Ridder could still be elevated to the roster after being brought back on Arizona's practice squad.

It's hard to envision the Cardinals as "losers" for making the right - and obvious - choice.