Just one month after signing his latest deal, Desmond Ridder will return to the open market. The Cincinnati Bengals released the backup quarterback on Tuesday as part of their final roster cuts.
The Bengals signed Ridder in late July to compete with Jake Browning for their backup job. However, after appearing in all three preseason games, Ridder received his walking papers on Tuesday morning, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported.
Ridder signed with the Bengals after spending the 2024 season with the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. He began the year on the Cardinals' practice squad after losing the backup quarterback battle to Clayton Tune before being poached by the injury-riddled Raiders.
Las Vegas gave Ridder a chance at redemption in Week 14. He got a chance to start with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell sidelined but failed to impress, ending the game with 208 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Ridder returned to the bench the following week and attempted just two more passes the rest of the season. The Raiders opted not to re-sign him at the end of the year.
Ridder, 25, will now seek his fifth team in the last four years. Since entering the league as the Atlanta Falcons' third-round pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Ridder has never been able to find his footing and continues to bounce from one opportunity to the next.
Bengals' Desmond Ridder release sets 2025 quarterback room
Without Ridder on the roster, Browning is set to return as Joe Burrow's backup. Browning is entering his third season with the team since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
The Bengals took a unique approach with their quarterbacks in the offseason, particularly with their eyes on Browning and Ridder competing for the backup job. Head coach Zac Taylor opted to give Burrow extensive playing time throughout the preseason as he attempted to get his offense into a rhythm. The strategy did not provide Ridder much field time, suggesting that they were confident in Browning.
Since their Super Bowl appearance in 2021, Cincinnati has been plagued by slow starts to the season. Many of their issues have been attributed to repeated offseason holdouts, which have hampered training camp. Taylor attempted to combat the issue in 2025 by having his starters play in the preseason for the first time during his tenure.
