Desmond Ridder is on the move again.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Cardinals are waiving Ridder on Tuesday as the club trims its roster down to 53 players.
Tune completed 35-of-52 passes in the preseason for 361 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 33 yards with a touchdown. Ridder was 20-of-35 for 225 yards with no touchdowns and no picks, plus 63 rushing yards.
Desmond Ridder's Journey Through the NFL
A third-round pick in 2022, Ridder struggled as a Falcons starter last year. He completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,836 yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 15 appearances with 13 starts.
The Rise and Fall of Desmond Ridder
A year ago, Desmond Ridder was an NFL starting quarterback and there were some people optimistic about what he could do with the Atlanta Falcons.
One year and one team later, he's out of a job.
Ridder will be waived by the Arizona Cardinals, according to NFL Media. The Cardinals traded for the third-year quarterback this offseason, but they chose Clayton Tune to back up Kyler Murray. Tune appeared in seven games last season as a rookie and had a 22.6 passer rating.
The 2022 Quarterback Class: A Tale of Two Cities
Ridder had high hopes after a solid finish to his rookie season in 2022. But he was benched twice last season by the Falcons. In 13 starts he had 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Falcons moved on, signing Kirk Cousins and trading Ridder to Arizona for receiver Rondale Moore. It was a star-crossed trade; Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in a practice.
Ridder played in all three preseason games and completed 20-of-35 passes and had no touchdowns but no interceptions either. He didn't do enough to earn a spot on the roster.
It's more bad news for the quarterback class of the 2022 NFL Draft. Kenny Pickett, the lone first-round pick in that class, was traded this offseason. Ridder and Malik Willis, the second and third quarterbacks taken in that draft, have already been traded and Ridder has been released by his second team. The only hit from the entire class at quarterback was Brock Purdy, who was the final pick.
The Future for Desmond Ridder
Ridder will turn 25 at the end of the month, he has a third-round draft pedigree and has had flashes of looking like a viable NFL quarterback. That should get him another shot. If he signs with someone, it will be Ridder's third team in 2024.
Cardinals Turn to Clayton Tune
Instead, Ridder was released Tuesday as the Cardinals trim down their roster, NFL Media reported. The move leaves 2023 fifth-round pick Clayton Tune as their backup quarterback unless the team makes a move to supplant him.
A Disappointing Turn of Events for Ridder
It is also a hard, fast fall for Ridder. A third-round pick in 2022, he spent the majority of last season as the Falcons' starting quarterback. He finished the year with 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 15 games (13 starts), failing to put a stranglehold on the job. And when the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in free agency, they sent Ridder to the Cardinals in exchange for Moore, who profiled as only a depth receiver.
Tune Emerges as the Preferred Backup
A month ago, Ridder entered training camp as the Cardinals’ clear number two quarterback. But throughout camp, he threw far too many interceptions and never looked comfortable leading the second-team offense. As a result, the Cardinals gradually began giving Tune more looks with the second team.
In preseason, Ridder started the first game; Tune played the second half. Those roles switched in the final two games as Tune continued to do a superior job of operating the offense.
Across the three games, Tune finished 35 of 52 for 361 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He added a touchdown on the ground. Ridder finished 20 of 35 for 225 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.
The Cardinals' Future at Quarterback
The reality, though, is that neither quarterback has looked like a viable option if Murray were to miss time.
In the coming days, the Cardinals could look to add a quarterback released or waived by another team. So far Tuesday, that group includes a handful of players with game experience: C.J. Beathard, Nate Sudfeld, Bailey Zappe, and Ben DiNucci. The Cardinals have the fourth waiver priority, putting them in strong position to claim any players who are waived. Released players — those with at least four seasons of NFL experience — can be signed immediately.
The Cardinals' Roster Cuts
Ridder's Final Preseason Showing
The veteran signal-caller turned in his best showing as a Cardinal in Denver, completing 10 of 16 pass attempts for 111 yards for an 83.1 QBR. He added another 25 yards on two carries.
Ridder’s day, however, ended on a sour note. Late in the fourth quarter, the quarterback left the game after taking a hit and was placed in concussion protocol soon after.
A Quick Recovery
Head coach Jonathan Gannon said Monday that Ridder has since cleared the protocol.
Before Sunday’s action, Ridder was 10-of-19 for 114 yards across Arizona’s first two preseason games.
The Trade That Didn't Work Out
Ridder joined the Cardinals via an offseason trade with the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for wide receiver Rondale Moore.
Given the trade and prior NFL experience, it appeared he had a fast track for the QB2 role heading into training camp. But inconsistencies and turnovers plagued Ridder throughout most of camp and into joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts, opening the door for Tune.
Tune's Rise
Tune showed plenty of improvement this offseason, highlighted by his play toward the end of camp and through most of the preseason. That’s not to say there aren’t some things to clean up. In Sunday’s loss to the Broncos, Tune didn’t look as decisive as he was in the two games prior.
That inability to pull the trigger at times played a part in Tune’s sack total (three) on the afternoon. It wasn’t just Sunday, either, with Tune going down at least two times a game this preseason. Tune isn’t the only one to blame for the eight sacks he took in exhibition play, but he could have limited the damage in certain situations.
Still, Tune appeared to have done enough to secure a roster spot behind Murray behind 361 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception on 35-52 passing across three preseason games.
Uncertainty Remains
While Tune’s job appears safe for now, there’s always the chance the Cardinals opt to bring in someone from the outside depending on who might be available after the 53-man roster cut deadline on Tuesday.
Around this time last year, general manager Monti Ossenfort acquired QB Josh Dobbs from the Cleveland Browns with Murray still recovering from a torn ACL and Colt McCoy’s noticeable struggles. Dobbs made eight starts for the Cardinals before he was dealt to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Arizona isn’t in the same QB boat it was last year, with Murray fully healthy, but the option to bring someone in remains if the Cardinals feel inclined to do so.
