According to source, Raiders sign QB Desmond Ridder after Aidan O'Connell injury: Could he be a starting option?

Given Aidan O'Connell's injury, the Las Vegas Raiders are wasting no time in expanding their quarterback room and signing Desmond Ridder to the team, according to a team source.

Ridder has been signed off the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad and will join the Raiders in Week 8. In two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Ridder threw for 3,544 yards with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. During this time he achieved a record of 8:9 as a starter.

Ridder, a third-round pick from Cincinnati in the 2022 NFL Draft, was traded to Arizona in March for wide receiver Rondale Moore. The 25-year-old signal caller has yet to play a snap this season.

Ridder's signing comes after O'Connell suffered a broken thumb in the team's Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, which will put him on injured reserve and sidelined four to six weeks, a league and team source said Monday confirmed.

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Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell is expected to miss four to six weeks

O'Connell started the last two games after taking over the starting spot from Gardner Minshew. O'Connell has thrown for 455 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions this year, while Minshew has 1,168 passing yards with four touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

In recent weeks, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers has had to take a break from the Raiders' offense due to an injury. Fellow WR Davante Adams moved to the New York Jets last week after requesting a trade, while first-round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers has proven to be a bright spot, leading the team in receptions (47) and Targeting (60) and receiving yards (477).

Overall, the team's offense ranks 24th in points, 25th in total offense, 30th in rushing, is tied for fifth-most sacks allowed (20), and the team's quarterbacks lead the league in interceptions (10).

Could Ridder start for the Raiders?

The Raiders needed a healthy quarterback body since O'Connell broke his thumb on Sunday. They also aren't sure whether to expedite the schedule for QB Carter Bradley, an undrafted rookie out of South Alabama. Ridder was benched twice by the Falcons last year, and they traded the 2022 third-rounder to the Cardinals. The Cardinals released Ridder when he lost the battle for the backup job to rookie Clayton Tune, but then re-signed him to the practice squad.

Minshew, who was guaranteed $15 million by the team this offseason, remains the de facto starter for now despite having four turnovers in Sunday's loss and a league-high 10 turnovers this season. Ridder started 13 games for the Falcons last year. He completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,836 yards, 12 TDs and 12 INTs. — Vic Tafur, Raiders senior writer

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(Photo: Norm Hall/Getty Images)