Former Cincinnati quarterback released by Arizona Cardinals

Life comes at you fast. One day you’re a 23-year-old NFL starting quarterback, two years removed from a top ten finish in the Heisman Trophy race, and the next you’re losing the competition to be a backup and getting waived just before your third NFL season.

That’s the sad reality for former Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday, according to a report from NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

Ridder was a four year starter for the Bearcats in the American Athletic Conference, twice winning AAC Offensive Player of the Year and finishing eighth in Heisman voting in 2021.

That year the dynamic quarterback completed 251 passes for 3,334 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading Cincinnati and coach Luke Fickell to a sparkly 13-1 record which ended with a 27-6 loss to Alabama in the Cotton Bowl.

Ridder was then picked in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Atlanta Falcons, and by the end of his rookie year he had replaced Marcus Mariota under center – going 2-2 in four starts while completing 73 passes for 708 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Ridder then got the keys to the kingdom in 2023, but he took a step backward. The 24-year-old started 13 out of 15 games and went 6-7 with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, which ultimately led Atlanta to not only sign Kirk Cousins in the offseason, but also draft Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Ridder was then dealt to Arizona where he competed with former Houston quarterback Clayton Tune to back up Kyler Murray – a competition he ultimately lost.

With age and starting experience both on his side, Ridder will likely catch on somewhere as a practice squad/third string quarterback, but it is not always easy to get back atop the starting quarterback mountain once you’ve fallen off.