Raiders Bench Gardner Minshew for Ex-Falcons QB Desmond Ridder

Former Atlanta Falcons third-round quarterback Desmond Ridder made his debut for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders are turning to a former Atlanta Falcons quarterback for a spark.

Trailing by 21 in the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the Raiders replaced veteran signal caller Gardner Minshew with ex-Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Ridder was only in his second game with the Raiders. Las Vegas signed him to its active roster off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on Oct. 21.

The #Raiders have benched Minshew for Desmond Ridder.

— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) November 3, 2024

On his first series with the Raiders, Ridder went 1 for 3 with 1 passing yard. He finished the game 11/16 for 74 yards and a touchdown. Ridder rolled to his right and found former Georgia Bulldogs standout Brock Bowers in the end zone for a 22-yard score.

TD No. 2 for BROCK BOWERS!!!#LVvsCIN | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/SWkOwo6uD0

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 3, 2024

Ridder has been on an NFL whirlwind since the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. Just days after that happening, the Falcons traded Ridder to the Cardinals.

He didn't make Arizona's 53-man roster after the preseason. But after the Cardinals released him on roster cutdown day, Ridder signed with the Arizona practice squad.

Ridder was on the Cardinals practice squad until the Raiders signed him to their active roster in mid-October.

Entering the game on Nov. 3, Ridder was making his first NFL regular season appearance since Week 18 of last season. Starting for the Falcons in that game, Ridder went 22 of 30 with 291 passing yards and 2 touchdowns. But he also had an interception and lost fumble in a 48-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

It will be interesting to see if the switch to Ridder is a permanent one for the Raiders. Las Vegas has shuffled Minshew and Aidan O'Connell in and out behind center during the first half of the season. Unless Ridder leads an incredible comeback Sunday afternoon, the Raiders will fall to 2-7 with a loss to the Bengals.

In eight games, including seven starts, Minshew has thrown only 6 touchdowns with 8 interceptions this season.

The Falcons drafted Ridder at No. 74 overall in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. In two seasons with the Falcons, Ridder completed 64% of his passes for 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He averaged 7 yards per pass attempt and recorded 5 game-winning drives along with 3 fourth-quarter comebacks in 19 games.