The Dallas Cowboys lost Cooper Rush to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency and seem unlikely to re-sign Trey Lance. There are still options available to them in free agency as they look for a new backup.
The Cowboys cannot afford to go into the season without a more reliable backup than Will Grier. Last season Prescottr got hurt, and the season was practically a wash. Grier has attempted just 52 passes in the NFL. SB Nation’s Jess Haynie tabbed Desmond Ridder as a potential option for the Cowboys.
“After trying the whole ‘one man’s trash’ thing with Lance, why not make another attempt with this young passer? A third-round pick in 2022 by the Falcons, Ridder started as a backup to Marcus Mariota in a rebuilding year,” wrote Haynie. “He was named the starter in 2023 but wasn’t impactful, leading Atlanta to sign Kirk Cousins the following offseason and trade Ridder to the Cardinals. Ridder lost the backup battle there and ended up on the practice squad, but got picked up by the Raiders after they suffered some injuries.”
Ridder is not an elite player by any means but he has yet to play for an organization suited to win. More importantly, he has far more experience as a starter than Grier.
Ridder has made 18 career starts with an 8-10 record. He has 4,002 career passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns. Although he may not be as good as Cooper Rush was when he was forced to play, the Cowboys may feel more comfortable with Ridder as the backup as opposed to a rookie.
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“With only three seasons under his belt, and all of them with teams not really poised to compete, Ridder may still have some untapped potential,” wrote Haynie. “It also might help him that new offensive coordinator Klayton Adams was the Cardinals’ offensive line coach last year, so he at least has some firsthand exposure to Ridder’s work.”
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