Desmond Ridder, Vikings Reportedly Agree to Contract After J.J. McCarthy Ankle Injury

With starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy currently sidelined with an ankle injury, the Minnesota Vikings are adding a quarterback to their roster.

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Vikings are signing Desmond Ridder to the 53-man roster. Ridder will presumably be behind Carson Wentz on the depth chart on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ridder, a third-round pick in 2022, spent the 2024 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he threw for 458 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions across six games.

He signed with the Raiders last October amid injuries in the quarterback room, and he replaced Gardner Minshew as the starter in November, though Aidan O'Connell ultimately ended the season as QB1 in Las Vegas.

Ridder signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in July but did not make the roster at the start of the regular season.

Ridder hasn't seen much action throughout his short career, though he did spend most of the 2023 season starting for the Atlanta Falcons, collecting 2,836 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

McCarthy, who started the first two games of the season for the Vikings, suffered a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss two to four weeks, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

McCarthy has been average at best in his first two NFL appearances, throwing for 301 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions on 58.5 percent passing. Minnesota won its season opener against the Chicago Bears before losing to the Falcons on Sunday.

With McCarthy sidelined, the Vikings will turn to the veteran Wentz, who joined the team over the offseason after spending the 2024 campaign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wentz, once a productive starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, has played for six teams in as many seasons. Assuming he gets the start on Sunday, he'll be the first quarterback to start for six different teams in six years.