Packers Sign Veteran Quarterback With Starting Experience to Practice Squad

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Welcome to Week 18 of the NFL season.

With the Green Bay Packers getting set to play a meaningless game against the Minnesota Vikings to close the regular season and with starting quarterback Jordan Love still in the concussion protocol and backup Malik Willis dealing with an injured throwing shoulder, the Packers signed Desmond Ridder to their practice squad before Wednesday’s practice.

The Packers promoted two cornerbacks from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Tuesday and signed a running back to the practice squad, leaving the opening for Ridder.

Love remains in the concussion protocol, coach Matt LaFleur said before Wednesday’s practice. Love and Willis will practice, though.

At this point, there would seem to be at least a decent chance that Clayton Tune will be Green Bay’s starting quarterback on Sunday.

Ridder was a third-round pick in 2022 by the Falcons. With Atlanta, he started four games as a rookie and 13 games in 2023. Last season, he played in six games with one start for the Raiders.

“Well, we'll find out,” LaFleur said of what Ridder can add. “Luckily for all of us, he's had experience in similar systems. Shoot, he was with Vegas last year with [Packers assistant Luke] Getsy. He's been in Atlanta with Arthur Smith, and Arthur and I have, obviously, worked together before. So, there is some common language I would say.”

This season, he spent training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals and served two stints with this week’s opponent, the Vikings, with two weeks on the 53-man roster and one week on the practice squad. He did not get any game action.

“We felt like it would be good to have a veteran guy that’s still young and growing as a player, but can step in and execute if called upon,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said after the initial signing of Ridder.

The experience in Minnesota should help Ridder’s acclimation, LaFleur said.

“I know, just talking to him, he was in Minnesota, and I'm sure that Kevin's got some common language that we use that dates back to when we were at separate times with Sean (McVay) in L.A. So, he seems like a smart guy, and we'll see how fast he can pick it up.”

In 25 games that include 18 starts, Ridder completed 63.6 percent of his passes with 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and an 82.6 passer rating. In 2023, when he started most of the season, he completed 64.2 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and an 83.4 rating.

“One thing we saw early on with Desmond is the professional he was and the maturity at an early stage in his career last year,” Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said in 2023. “That’s why we decided to play him the last four games, and he showed growth and improvement in every game. We saw him in critical moments: third down, fourth down, end of game, end of half. And he was able to produce in those moments.

“Also, Desmond, we saw him get knocked down. We saw him handle some adversity and we saw him respond to it. We believe in the makeup, the maturity.”

During that season, he started the Week 2 game against Love and the Packers, which the Falcons won 25-24. He was 19-of-32 passing for 237 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception as a passer and 10 carries for 39 yards and one touchdown as a runner.

“First of all, I think he makes great decisions,” LaFleur said before that game. “He doesn’t put the ball in jeopardy a whole bunch. I think he’s accurate, he makes great decisions. I think they do a great job of putting him in some pretty good situations, especially with a lot of their passing game coming off the run game.”

Love suffered a concussion in Week 16 at Chicago and was inactive for Week 17 against Baltimore. Willis replaced Love against the Bears, when he suffered an injured right shoulder when he was sacked at the end of regulation. He was exceptional against the Ravens before aggravating the injury.

For some symmetry: During the offseason after the 2023 season, the Falcons traded Ridder to the Cardinals. With Arizona, he lost the backup battle to Tune and was released.

“I was just cut three months ago,” Ridder said after signing with the Raiders. “That should be enough opportunity, enough motivation, to keep me going at any time. Back home, I got the call, and my daughter was like, ‘Daddy, where are you going?’ I’m like, got to go to Vegas.

“But I know I’d do everything for them, I’d do everything for my family. It’s just another opportunity to go out and prove to them, prove to myself, prove to everyone that I can be out here and go do this ... I know what I can do, I know what I can be, and now I’ve just got to go do it.”

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