It must feel like a lifetime ago for Desmond Ridder when he was the future at quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out for him, and now he’s bouncing around the NFL.
He had a chance to start a game for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, but that only lasted for a single game. Since then, Ridder’s had a hard time sticking with one team. He spent training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals, but was cut before the season.
He later got picked up by the Minnesota Vikings, but was cut after a few weeks. Starting quarterback JJ McCarthy is in concussion protocol, so the Vikings needed a quarterback who is at least somewhat familiar with the system.
The team announced on Thursday that they’ve signed Ridder back to the practice squad. It remains to be seen if he’ll have a chance to get on the field. Depending on how long McCarthy is out, Ridder could be the backup.
Geno Smith Addresses Chip Kelly Firing
Ridder’s former team, the Raiders, is a hot mess. They just fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly amid a terrible start to the season.
The Raiders have the worst scoring offense in the NFL, and quarterback Geno Smith has struggled under Kelly. However, the quarterback made sure to praise the coach after the news broke of his firing.
“Chip [Kelly] is a guy who, when I met Chip, I was in high school, 10th-grader, I believe, and I’ve always thought highly of Chip. I’ve always thought he’s had a great football mind, and I thought, honestly, if we made more plays, if we’d executed better, I think things would be different,” Smith told reporters on Wednesday.
“I really feel for Chip. I really do. I’ve developed a great relationship with him through the time of knowing him, and I always wish him the best, and I’ll always believe in him. Like I said, I think he’s a great football mind, and some things are out of my control, but the things that were, which was execution on the field, those are the things I wish I could have done better for him.”
Smith issues Apology to Fans
It has been a frustrating year for Smith. He hasn’t played well, and Raiders fans have turned on him. He’s frequently booed and heckled at home games.
His frustration got the best of him after the Week 12 loss to the Cleveland Browns, as he was seen using an obscene gesture toward fans in the stands. He issued an apology for the incident.
“Yeah, for sure. First of all, I would like to apologize, obviously, to the fans, to the fan base of Raider Nation,” Smith said. “I made a poor judgment out of frustration, and that’s not an excuse. I’ve got to be better than that, and I’ve got to hold myself to a higher standard. In that moment, I didn’t. I’m sincerely apologetic and very sorry, obviously, for doing that. I just want to make it known that those things will never happen for me again.”
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