Why a huge injury means Ridder must be ready to lead the Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders suffered their seventh straight loss, losing to the Denver Broncos 29-19.

The Raiders remained competitive for most of the game, but things went south in the fourth quarter as rookie quarterback Bo Nix continued his impressive streak.

As if the situation wasn’t already disastrous enough, coach Antonio Pierce’s team suffered another brutal injury.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that starting quarterback Gardner Minshew II suffered a broken collarbone in the loss and will miss the rest of the season. Minshew threw for 1,783 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions in his first season as a Raider.

With Aidan O’Connell still in the backup position, the Raiders have asked Desmond Ridder to replace him as the starter. Ridder has plenty of starting experience, having previously led the Atlanta Falcons at the end of the 2022 season and almost all of 2023.

The Falcons traded Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals in March, but he was not named to the final 53-man roster. The Raiders claimed him off the Cardinals’ practice squad in October.

He made his first appearance as a Raider, helping Minshew against the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 11 of 16 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown. On Sunday afternoon against the Broncos, he completed 5 of 10 passes for 64 yards but was sacked and fumbled, ending his slim chance of a comeback.

Ridder has struggled with the same issues that other Raider quarterbacks have struggled with this season: turnovers. In 2023, he had 12 interceptions with the Falcons and lost 12 fumbles.

If the Raiders want to have a chance to turn their season around, Ridder needs to play smarter and keep the ball out of danger. He hasn’t done it yet in his NFL career, but there’s no time like the present.

O’Connell may soon come off injured reserve, and when that happens he will have a chance to return to the starting lineup. But for now Rider will prepare as a starter before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Black Friday.

Ridder’s greatest strengths are his leadership skills and intangible abilities. He’ll put them to the test when he gets another chance to be a starter, and he needs to make the most of that opportunity.

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