The Minnesota Vikings made a move at quarterback less than 24 hours ahead of their Week 5 matchup with the Cleveland Browns in London.
The team made public via its official website on Saturday that it had parted ways with veteran signal-caller Desmond Ridder.
“Minnesota announced Desmond Ridder, who has been Minnesota’s emergency QB since J.J. McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain during Week 2, has been waived,” per Craig Peters of Vikings.com. “McCarthy was ruled out Friday, and Carson Wentz will make his third start for Minnesota.”
Ridder was a third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. He played two seasons with that franchise before catching on with the Las Vegas Raiders last year.
Ridder has appeared in 25 NFL games, starting 18 of them (8-10). He has thrown for 4,002 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as a pro.
Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will continue in his role as the backup QB to Wentz, while McCarthy will remain sidelined with his ankle injury. Minnesota has a bye in Week 6 following its return to the United States after a two-week trip to Europe, which included a three-point loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin last Sunday.
It is unclear precisely why the Vikings made the choice to axe their emergency QB one day before they take on a team in Cleveland that boasts one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL. Given how injured the Vikings’ offensive line is already, and how much the unit has struggled to protect both McCarthy and Wentz through four games, Minnesota’s choice to waive Ridder is even more puzzling, as a deluge of Browns pressure could potentially lead to one, or both, of the Vikings QBs taking some big hits on Sunday.
However, it may be precisely the fact that Minnesota’s offensive line is so injury-ravaged that the team decided to take a calculated risk in releasing Ridder so as to open up space for reinforcements in front of the QB.
“The Vikings also announced signing of interior offensive lineman Vershon Lee from their practice squad to the 53-man roster and the use of standard elevations from the practice squad for interior offensive lineman Henry Byrd and running back Cam Akers,” Peters wrote Saturday.
Minnesota will be without three starting offensive linemen Sunday, including right tackle Brian O’Neill who is battling a knee injury, first-round rookie guard Donovan Jackson, who is recovering from wrist surgery, and center Ryan Kelly, who is on injured reserve (IR) and will miss at least the next four weeks after sustaining his second concussion of the season against Pittsburgh. Reserve lineman Michael Jurgens is also sidelined Sunday with a hamstring strain.
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