The Las Vegas Raiders needed another quarterback after Aidan O’Connell fractured his thumb in Week 7. But instead of signing the best veteran available in free agency, they signed a failed third-round pick who modeled their game after him.
The Raiders’ descent into mediocrity sped up in Week 7. Before their game on Sunday, the team assured their offensive decline when they traded disgruntled star wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets. Then this weekend they went out and posted 15 points in another loss. This time to the Los Angeles Rams.
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However, there was also injury to the insult of their latest loss. After the game, it was revealed starting QB Aidan O’Connell suffered a fractured thumb in the loss to the Rams. The injury will sideline him for at least the next month.
With a major hole in the roster, the organization needed to go out and find a worthwhile signal caller who could compete with Gardner Minshew for the starting job. Yet instead of signing the best player available, they chose to bring in a poor man’s version.
Las Vegas Raiders surprisingly sign Desmond Ridder of Arizona Cardinals practice squad
“The Raiders are signing Desmond Ridder off the Cardinals practice squad, per sources,” NFL Network league insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday. “Aidan O’Connell is headed to injured reserve. And now Ridder, the former Falcons starter, joins Gardner Minshew in the Raiders QB room.”
While the signing is not necessarily a bad one, former Titans and Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is still available in free agency. This isn’t to say that the one-time Pro Bowler would come in and save the Raiders season. But he is certainly better than Ridder. A former third-rounder who failed miserably as the Falcons starter the last two years.
What makes the move all the more surprising is that Ridder is a player who modeled his game after, you guessed it, Ryan Tannehill.
“Deshaun Watson, just from his decision-making, his athletic ability. Then just Ryan Tannehill. One, because of his longevity. Two, for his game management and he’s also a great player,” Ridder said before the 2022 NFL Draft. “Those are two of the players that I really look at to try to model my game after.”
Essentially, instead of the Las Vegas Raiders signing Ryan Tannehill and having an outside shot at reaching the playoffs, they signed the poor man’s version who won’t make any difference in 2024.
Related: Where do the Las Vegas Raiders land in our Week 8 NFL offense rankings?