Arizona Cardinals Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Cardinals recently acquired quarterback Desmond Ridder through a trade with the Atlanta Falcons. And as he joins the team as their backup behind starter Kyler Murray, it sounds like there’s one thing they like most about him: experience.

Desmond Ridder served as the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons for the majority of the season in 2023. And even though it did not work out for him in Atlanta and he struggled as a starter, the Cardinals still value the experience that he gained during that time.

“There is no substitute for experience, especially at the quarterback position,” Arizona Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort said according to Darren Urban of the team’s website. “We’re seeking to add competition to the roster. … Adding Desmond to the room with Kyler and Clayton [Tune] gives us three guys who will give us a good battle. They are all shaped a little differently but they all schematically can do similar things.”

Ridder has a 8-9 record in his 17 games as a starter over the last two years with the Atlanta Falcons. He is not expected to challenge Murray for the starting role in Arizona, but he is a proven and capable backup if his number is called.

[Arizona Cardinals]