Falcons ship Ridder to Cardinals
The Atlanta Falcons quickly moved on from Desmond Ridder, trading their former starting quarterback to the Arizona Cardinals for receiver Rondale Moore.
The dumping of Ridder was no surprise after the Falcons made a big splash in free agency by signing Kirk Cousins to a fouryear, $180 million contract that includes $100 million in guaranteed money.
A third-round pick out of Cincinnati in 2022, Ridder had no future in Atlanta after failing to hold the starting job last season. His tenure with the Falcons ended with a 8-9 record over 17 starts.
Ridder will now serve as a backup to Kyler Murray with the Cardinals.
Moore gives Cousins another playmaker at receiver, joining 2022 firstround pick Drake London and free-agent signee Darnell Mooney.
Moore, a second-round pick from Purdue in 2021, will be looking to revive his career after a promising start. The 5-foot-7 player had 54 receptions for 435 yards as a rookie, but he hasn’t matched those numbers over the past two seasons.
The speedster had 40 catches for 352 yards and a touchdown this past season. He also spent time at running back, rushing for a career-high 178 yards on 28 carries.
Ridder took over the starting job in Atlanta for the final four games of his rookie season. He showed enough promise for the Falcons to hand him the starting job heading into 2023, but numerous turnovers and inconsistent play led then-coach Arthur Smith to twice make the switch to Taylor Heinicke.
Ridder showed flashes of potential in 2023 — including three games with more than 300 yards passing — but he had as many interceptions as touchdowns (12 apiece), along with 12 fumbles.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to terms with former San Francisco defensive tackle Arik Armstead on a three-year, $51 million contract Thursday.
The 49ers released Armstead to create salary cap space. He will now switch coasts and reunite with Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke, who as the 49ers GM, drafted Armstead with the 17th overall pick in 2015.
If he can stay healthy, Armstead should provide a huge addition for a team that ranked 25th in the league last season with 40 sacks. Armstead will be asked to line up between standout pass rushers Josh Allen and Travon Walker and provide the kind of middle push the team has been missing for years.
Armstead had five sacks in 12 games in the regular season in 2023 and added one more in the playoffs. He has 33½ sacks in 116 games in the regular season and eight career sacks in the postseason.
The 30-year-old Armstead was limited the past two seasons, playing only 21 regular-season games in that span because of injuries to his knee and foot. He played through a torn meniscus in his right knee in the postseason and had surgery after the Super Bowl.
• Sam Howell is going to the Seattle Seahawks, a move that gives them a quarterback with experience to pair with starter Geno Smith.
Seattle is getting Howell and fourth- and sixthround picks from Washington for third- and fifthrounders.
Howell also gets a change of scenery after throwing the most interceptions and being sacked the most of any player in the NFL last season.
Howell started all 17 games for the Commanders during the 2023 season, threw 21 interceptions and was sacked 65 times behind an offensive line that was ravaged by injuries and poor play.