Pre-draft After wrapping up his collegiate career at Cincinnati, Ridder was invited to the
NFL Scouting Combine, where he measured in at 6'3" and 211 lbs., with a 32.75-inch arm span and a 10-inch hand span. With a 4.52-second 40-yard dash, Ridder posted one of the fastest times recorded by a quarterback. At the end of the pre-draft process, most experts had projected Ridder as a first-round to third-round pick. He was rated as the fourth-best quarterback prospect in the
2022 NFL draft class, after
Malik Willis,
Kenny Pickett, and
Matt Corral.
Atlanta Falcons 2022 season Ridder was selected in the third round (74th overall) of the
2022 NFL draft by the
Atlanta Falcons. He was considered a surprise fall in the draft, as many analysts had projected him to be selected in the first round as high as the eighth overall pick. He was only the second quarterback to be selected in the draft, after
Kenny Pickett was selected in the first round by the
Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first training camp in the NFL, Ridder competed for the starting quarterback job against veteran
Marcus Mariota. On July 28, 2022, Falcons' head coach
Arthur Smith named Mariota as the starting quarterback to open the season, with Ridder serving as the backup. On December 8, with an impending Bye week following after a 5–8 record for the season, the Falcons benched Mariota and named Ridder as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. Ridder made his NFL debut in Week 15 against the
New Orleans Saints, where he went 13-of-26 for 97 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 38 rushing yards in the 18–21 loss. In Week 17 against the
Arizona Cardinals, Ridder was 19-of-26 for 169 yards in the 20–19 victory, his first career NFL win. In Week 18 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ridder was 19-for-30 for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the 30–17 win. Ridder finished his rookie season with 708 passing yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, an 86.4 passer rating, and 64 rushing yards.
2023 season In March 2023, Falcons' HC Arthur Smith announced that Ridder would remain the starting quarterback at the start of the 2023 season. In Week 8, after going 3–14 against the
Tennessee Titans in the first half, Ridder was benched at the start of the second half game, being replaced by
Taylor Heinicke. In Week 9, Smith downgraded him on the depth chart and named Heinicke as the Falcons' starting quarterback against the
Minnesota Vikings. In Week 12, Ridder was renamed starter after Heinicke went 0–2 in close losses to the Vikings and the
Arizona Cardinals. He finished the 2023 season with 2,836 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, to go with 53 carries for 193 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Arizona Cardinals On March 14, 2024, Ridder was traded to the
Arizona Cardinals in exchange for wide receiver
Rondale Moore. The Falcons signed
Kirk Cousins the day prior. On August 27, Ridder lost the battle for backup quarterback against
Clayton Tune, being released by the Cardinals as part of final roster cuts, and re-signed to their practice squad the following day.
Las Vegas Raiders On October 21, 2024, Ridder was signed off the Cardinals' practice squad to the
Las Vegas Raiders after quarterback
Aidan O'Connell was placed on injured reserve. He would serve as backup to
Gardner Minshew. In Week 9, Ridder would come in for Minshew against the
Cincinnati Bengals as the Raiders were down 31–10 in the third quarter. He completed 11-of-16 pass attempts for 74 yards, with a touchdown and a lost fumble. In Week 12 against the
Denver Broncos, Ridder came in after a season-ending collarbone injury to Minshew. However, O'Connell was taken off IR and named starter for Week 13 against the
Kansas City Chiefs. In Week 14 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ridder would see play in the fourth quarter after O'Connell was injured late in the third quarter. He went 12-of-18 for 101 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions. Ridder was named starter in Week 15 against his former Falcons, which ended in a 9–15 loss. In Week 18 against the
Los Angeles Chargers, O'Connell was briefly injured after a sack in the fourth quarter and Ridder saw three snaps.
Cincinnati Bengals On July 20, 2025, Ridder was signed by the
Cincinnati Bengals ahead of training camp. On August 26, he was waived by the Bengals as part of final roster cuts.
Minnesota Vikings On September 16, 2025, the
Minnesota Vikings signed Ridder following an injury to
J. J. McCarthy. He was waived by the Vikings on October 4. On November 27, Ridder was re-signed to the practice squad after McCarthy was placed in concussion protocol. He was released by the Vikings on December 2.
Green Bay Packers On December 31, 2025, the
Green Bay Packers signed Ridder to their practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on January 6, 2026. On May 4, 2026, Ridder was released by the Packers. ==Career statistics==