Vikings sign Desmond Ridder after ‘crushing’ J.J. McCarthy injury

The Vikings signed quarterback Desmond Ridder to their 53-man roster on Tuesday, two days after starter J.J. McCarthy suffered an ankle injury during a loss to the Falcons. 

The move, which was first reported by the NFL Network, allows the Vikings to have a more experienced quarterback behind Carson Wentz this weekend when they face the Bengals. 

McCarthy, 22, is expected to be out 2-4 weeks, ESPN reported.

The 26-year-old Ridder has three seasons worth of NFL experience under his belt, appearing in 19 games through his first two seasons with the Falcons. He then played in six games for the Raiders in 2024. 

The Falcons’ 2022 third-round pick signed with the Bengals in July, but was cut by the team as part of the final moves to trim the roster before the start of the season.

Ridder started the Bengals’ final game of the preseason and went 8-for-20 for 75 yards and an interception against the Colts. 

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McCarthy was injured in the third quarter on Sunday night on a second-and-20 play and was evaluated on the sideline but finished the game. 

“He just kind of got rolled up on,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. “In the moment, we didn’t necessarily think it was that significant when we came off after that series. There was somebody in the blue [medical] tent, so he got it evaluated right there, got it taped up and went back in the game. Hearing from our medical staff, it’s one of those things that tends to be much worse today than it probably was in the moment, with adrenaline and everything.“

O’Connell also said it was “pretty crushing” when he heard the news of McCarthy’s injury.

Wentz, 32, is expected to start for the Vikings on Sunday when they face the Bengals, which would also trigger a bit of NFL history for the backup QB. 

He would become the first quarterback in NFL history to start a game for six different teams in six straight seasons.