QB Desmond Ridder traded from Falcons to Cardinals for WR Rondale Moore
Before last season, there was excitement about Desmond Ridder as the Atlanta Falcons' quarterback. That was cited as a reason the team didn't pursue Lamar Jackson when he was on the non-exclusive franchise tag.
Things move fast in the NFL. Ridder got his chance to start, was benched multiple times due to ineffective play, heard his new coach Raheem Morris say “If we had better quarterback play, I'm probably not standing here at this podium," watched the Falcons spend $180 million on new quarterback Kirk Cousins and then was traded.
Ridder's wild ride with the Falcons ended Thursday when the team traded him to the Arizona Cardinals for receiver Rondale Moore, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero.
It offers both players a fresh start after they failed to impress with their first NFL team.
Moore was a dynamic, yet undersized, playmaker at Purdue and the Cardinals drafted him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Moore never really found a regular role and had 1,201 yards in three seasons with the Cardinals. He'll be just 24 years old next season and could perhaps get some momentum as the Falcons' new slot receiver.
Ridder was considered a good value pick for the Falcons in the third round after a successful college career at Cincinnati. He looked OK over four starts late in his rookie season, leading Atlanta to give him a shot as its starting quarterback in 2023. Ridder started 13 games, had 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Falcons went into the offseason looking for an upgrade at quarterback and made a big move to land Cousins.
That move left Ridder without a clear role with the Falcons. In Arizona he can solidify himself as Kyler Murray's backup, a role the Cardinals had to address after watching poor quarterback play while Murray was coming back from a torn ACL.
Sometimes teams and players need a change. After a tumultuous past year with the Falcons, Ridder is getting a shot to establish himself somewhere else.
