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The Denver Broncos could be a fitting destination for Desmond Ridder.
Sometimes dominoes fall around the league that benefit other teams, and the Denver Broncos could fall into the latter category with Desmond Ridder.
Ridder is a former third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons who has made several other stops since then. Ridder is available once again, and the Broncos loom as a potentially fitting landing spot for the well-traveled passer.
That is particularly true ahead of their rookie minicamp.
GettyThe Denver Broncos could become the seventh NFL home for Desmond Ridder.
Ridder spent the 2024 season with one of the Broncos’ AFC West rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders. He started one of his six appearances, finishing his tenure with 458 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions on 61.2% completion.
The 74th overall pick of the 2022 draft, he also spent time with the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.
Ridder split the 2025 offseason with the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers. The latter released him on Monday, fueling the connection to the Broncos.
“Wonder if Desmond Ridder comes to throw for #Broncos this week at rookie minicamp,” Mile High Sports’ Cody Roark posted on X on May 4, quoting NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero’s report that the Packers severed ties with the QB to sign his replacement, Tyrod Taylor.
Ridder, who turns 27 in August, is 8-10 as a starter.
The former Cincinnati Bearcats star has completed 63.6% of his passes for 4,002 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in his four-year tenure.
Ridder is also an adept runner, with 78 carries for 293 yards and 5 touchdowns in his career. He has struggled to stick, though, as evidenced by his exit from his sixth NFL home and current search for a seventh.
GettyThe Denver Broncos have three QBs under contract, including Bo Nix, who is recovering from ankle surgery.
The Broncos have three quarterbacks under contract in starter Bo Nix, QB2 Jarrett Stidham, and emergency third option Sam Ehlinger. However, Nix is recovering from offseason surgery to repair a broken bone in his ankle and another clean-up procedure.
Moreover, none of the Broncos’ three QBs are eligible to participate in their upcoming rookie minicamp due to league rules.
They were said to be seeking outside help for that reason.
“I’m told the #Broncos are looking to bring in a veteran QB as a tryout player to rookie minicamp because they want a good arm to throw those 3 days to their rookies,” the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson reported on X in April. “Their three quarterbacks, Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger, obviously aren’t eligible for rookie minicamp.”
Some fans replied to Roark’s post with suggestions that Ridder could even take Stidham’s job behind Nix, leapfrogging Ehlinger. Stidham is the Broncos’ longest-tenured QB, joining the team in free agency in 2023.
Stidham, a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2019 who has also spent time with the Raiders, struggled during the AFC Championship Game, his lone start of the 2025 season.
He is 1-3 as a starter.
Ehlinger, a sixth-round selection of the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, has not started since the 2022 regular-season finale. The Broncos expect Nix to be full-go by training camp, but they could use someone like Ridder in the meantime.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He's based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
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