Why was Desmond Ridder cut by Cardinals? Former Falcons draft pick continues struggles in NFL

Desmond Ridder continues to struggle to find his footing in the NFL.

Ridder was cut by the Cardinals ahead of the 2024 season, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport . He lost a preseason backup quarterback battle to Clayton Tune, who will serve as QB2 behind Kyler Murray.

Ridder was traded from the Falcons to the Cardinals this offseason. Atlanta returned wide receiver Rondale Moore, who will miss the entire 2024 season with a knee injury.

Ridder will now look for his third opportunity in as many NFL seasons. For more on his brief NFL history and the Cardinals' decision, The Sporting News has you covered below.

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Why did Cardinals cut Desmond Ridder?

Ridder was cut by the Cardinals after losing the backup quarterback job to Tune.

The 24-year-old was given more than a fair opportunity to prove he was worthy of being QB2 to Murray. He played in all three preseason games but left much to be desired.

Ridder only completed 57.1 percent of his passes (20-35) for 225 yards. He had zero touchdowns or interceptions. On the ground, he added 63 yards on eight attempts but did not score a touchdown.

When Arizona acquired Ridder from the Falcons last season, the hope was that he would give the team a similar dual-threat to Murray as the backup.

Instead, he was outplayed by Tune in the preseason, who completed 67.3 percent of his passes (35-52) for 361 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Tune also added a rushing touchdown to his totals.

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Desmond Ridder NFL Draft

Ridder was selected in the third round (pick No. 74 overall) by the Falcons in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Atlanta saw promise in the 2021 AAC Offensive Player of the Year out of Cincinnati, who threw for 10,239 yards and 87 touchdowns to 28 interceptions over his four-year college career. Ridder also added 2,179 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns to his college totals.

Desmond Ridder NFL stats

Ridder earned the Falcons' starting quarterback job in 2023 after starting four games as a rookie in 2022.

He compiled an 8-9 record across two seasons, averaging just 186.5 passing yards per game over that span. He has 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions in his career. He also has 257 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns but 15 total fumbles.

You can find Ridder's NFL stats below.

Cardinals QB depth chart

The Cardinals QB depth chart is down to just two players — Murray and Tune. It is likely they will sign a third emergency quarterback to their practice squad for insurance at some point.