The Atlanta Falcons have gone through several quarterbacks since trading Matt Ryan away in 2022. Marcus Mariota, Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder each struck out as Ryan’s replacement and were eventually traded or released by the team.
Ridder may get a chance to exact some revenge against the Falcons in Week 15. The Las Vegas Raiders have listed starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell as questionable for tonight’s prime-time matchup on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”
According to a report from Adam Schefter, O’Connell is not expected to play. If this is true, Ridder will get the start against his former team.
Raiders QB Desmond Ridder is expected to start tonight vs. the Falcons, per sources. Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell is listed as questionable and is expected to work out pregame to see if he can play, but Ridder is expected to start for now.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2024
Ridder has played in four games this season, passing 239 yards and one touchdown without throwing an interception. However, this would be his first start since Week 18 of the 2023 season when the Falcons lost to the New Orleans Saints.
Atlanta originally drafted Ridder in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Cincinnati. The 25-year-old appeared in 15 games (13 starts) before getting traded to the Arizona Cardinals over the offseason.
The Falcons replaced Ridder with free agent Kirk Cousins in March. While the team initially succeeded with Cousins to begin the 2024 season, the veteran QB has hit a rough patch over the last four weeks.
Cousins has not thrown a touchdown during the Falcons’ four-game losing streak and many fans are ready to bring in rookie Michael Penix Jr.
Despite these calls for a chance, head coach Raheem Morris isn’t ready to make a move and the team will stick with Cousins for Monday night’s game against in Las Vegas.
If Cousins can’t outplay Ridder on national television, Morris may need to take a hard look at playing Penix for the rest of the season.