DesmondRidder

News: 10 hours agoRidder will remain the Raiders' backup quarterback in Sunday's game against the Dolphins after head coach Antonio Pierce announced Wednesday that Gardner Minshew will retain starting duties, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

Spin: Though Minshew was pulled early for performance-related reasons for the third time in seven starts in the Raiders' Week 9 loss to the Bengals, Pierce said coming out of a Week 10 bye that Minshew gives the team the best chance to win. Ridder came on in relief of Minshew versus Cincinnati and wasn't overly impressive, as he completed 11 of 16 passes for 74 yards (4.6 YPA) and a touchdown, but he also lost a fumble. While Minshew will keep the job for now, he remains a weekly candidate to be benched if he struggles to move the offense, so it may not be long before Ridder gets another opportunity.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Ridder drew comparisons to Marcus Mariota throughout the draft process in 2022. Therefore, it didn't seem entirely odd when he replaced the vet as the Falcons' QB1 in 2023. What was head-scratching, however, was Ridder's rigidity in the pocket. This contributed to a limited number of passing attempts (25.9 per game) and underwhelming aerial stats (2,836 pass yards). The bulk of Ridder's fantasy production came via his legs, as he recorded 53 carries, though those opportunities proved inefficient, as the former Bearcat managed just 193 rushing yards over 15 games. Ridder will start fresh in Arizona behind Kyler Murray. Given Murray's injury history, it's possible Ridder finds his way onto the field at some point in 2024, but he won't be a fantasy option.