The biggest hole to fill for the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason is the quarterback position. The Raiders will have a chance of doing that in the 2025 NFL Draft or free agency.
On Friday, we found out more news about the Silver and Black at the quarterback position. First, that veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford will not be a Raider next season and that the Raiders will not be bringing back quarterback Desmond Ridder in 2025.
The Raiders signed Ridder in the middle of the season last year because of the injuries to both Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II. They wanted to see if Ridder could have come in and brought a spark to the offense but that was not successful.
“The Raiders informed QB Desmond Ridder they won’t tender him as a restricted free agent, per source,” said NFL Insider Tom Pelissero on X/Twitter.
“The former Cincinnati star, Ridder, has 18 career starts for Atlanta and Las Vegas. An experienced option now set to hit the market.”
Ridder was selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. He played well during his time in Atlanta, but he was ultimately not the answer they were looking for long term. The Falcons traded him to the Arizona Cardinals before the start of the 2024 season.
Ridder did not make the Cardinals roster coming out of training camp in 2024, but he remained on their practice squad until the Raiders signed him.
During his short time with the Raiders, Ridder made one start last season against his former team, the Falcons, in Week 15 on Monday Night Football. He finished the season with 458 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Ridder will now hit the open market and can be a value as a backup quarterback elsewhere.
As for the Raiders, they are still searching for their next franchise quarterback. They are at the NFL Scouting Combine this week doing their homework on all potential fits.
The Raiders hold the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft and will look to draft a top quarterback. They can also potentially move up to the top of the board to select their quarterback if they cannot get him at six.
