The Vikings are making a move to fortify the quarterback position while J.J. McCarthy recovers from his ankle injury.
Per NFL Media, Minnesota is signing quarterback Desmond Ridder to their 53-man roster.
Ridder, 26, spent the preseason with the Bengals but had not found a team since he was let go at the end of August. Coincidentally, Minnesota plays Cincinnati this week.
By signing Ridder to the 53-man roster, the Vikings will be able to have him suit up as the emergency third QB.
McCarthy is still not expected to be placed on injured reserve, which would automatically make him ineligible to play for at least four weeks.
A third-round pick in 2022, Ridder has appeared in 25 games with 18 starts over the last three seasons. He went 6-7 as the Falcons’ starter in 2023 before he was traded to Arizona. The Cardinals subsequently let him go, and he hooked up with the Raiders last season, completing 61.2 percent of his throws for 458 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in six games.
Ridder has completed 63.6 percent of his career passes for 4,002 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
With McCarthy sidelined, Minnesota’s top three quarterbacks for Week 3 are set up to be Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer, and Ridder.
