Who Should I Start? Desmond Ridder or Will Levis

Sunday, July 20, 1:53 PM

Former Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback Desmond Ridder is signing an undisclosed deal with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, per the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Ridder will bring some experience to the Bengals' QB room behind starter Joe Burrow. The 25-year-old Ridder will join backups Jake Browning and Logan Woodside. He was originally a third-rounder by Atlanta in 2022 out of Cincinnati. Ridder made 17 starts in Atlanta in his first two years in the NFL before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2024. He then appeared in six games with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 before joining the Bengals this summer. In three NFL seasons, Ridder has completed 63.6% of his pass attempts for 4,002 yards, 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 25 games (18 starts). He will not be a lock to make the 53-man roster out of training camp.

Wednesday, July 23, 5:05 PM

The Tennessee Titans placed quarterback Will Levis (shoulder) on Injured Reserve on Wednesday, ending his season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It was announced on Monday that Levis would undergo season-ending surgery on his throwing shoulder on July 29. The 26-year-old has decided to have the surgery to ensure his long-term health based on medical opinions, and he should be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. The problem for Levis is that he didn't look good when given the starting job in 2024, and then the Titans selected Cam Ward with the first overall pick this April. If Ward handles himself well and stays healthy in his first NFL season, Levis will be returning in 2026 and strictly a backup without a chance to regain a starting gig. The surgery also confirms what we already knew: That Ward is the team's starter in 2025.