Former third-round pick sees something in Bengals he didn't see in Broncos

Desmond Ridder has a new NFL team. Earlier this offseason, it looked like that team could be the Denver Broncos, as Ridder was scheduled to come in for a tryout, but backed out of that due to what was described as a scheduling conflict. 

It seemed that Ridder's playing days may be over, but instead, he has signed a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Broncos, who were looking for a third quarterback to fill the spot once held by Zach Wilson, pivoted to Sam Ehlinger. Ridder clearly sees a better path to making the roster in Cincinnati than he did in Denver. 

With Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham already there, the No. 3 quarterback in Denver is likely playing for a spot on the practice squad. The Broncos had a unique situation last year with Nix, Stidham and Wilson and chose to keep all three QBs on the 53-man roster, but that is not likely to happen this season. 

In Cincinnati, Ridder will be competing with Jake Browning, Logan Woodside and undrafted free agent Payton Thorne to be the primary backup to Joe Burrow. Of course, there may be another reason why Ridder signed with the Bengals. He played at the University of Cincinnati in college and in 2021, took the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff after a tremendous season. 

Perhaps Ridder wants to relive some of his glory days in the city and if nothing else, end his career in the place where he put his name on the national map. 

Ridder has thrown for 4,002 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in his career with the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders. He has an 8-10 career record as a starting quarterback. 

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