Former Falcons starting quarterback signed by a future opponent

The Atlanta Falcons have officially won the trade; Desmond Ridder was signed off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad by the Las Vegas Raiders. By rule, he has to be signed to the 53-man roster and will be replacing starter Aidan O'Connell who is out with a broken thumb.

While he likely won't start, he will be the primary backup to the popular Gardner Minshew.

Minshew had been the starter before he was benched for Aidan O'Connell. However, O'Connell's time as a starter was short-lived after breaking his thumb on Sunday.

Falcons have won the Desmond Ridder trade already

Desmond Ridder spent most of last year as the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback. His poor play forced the team to get aggressive resulting in Kirk Cousins signing a massive contract in free agency. After that, they drafted Michael Penix Jr. as their future.

The front office agreed to trade their quarterback in a player-for-player swap that landed them WR Rondale Moore.

There was a lot of hype around the speedy receiver but his season ended before it even began. He suffered a season-ending injury right before the preseason started.

Meanwhile, Ridder couldn't make the final roster in the desert. The Cardinals released him and signed him to their practice squad. Now he is back on an active roster with the faltering Raiders.

Neither team got anything from their acquisition this season, but technically, the Falcons won the trade because Moore is still with the team—albeit on IR. He is due to be a free agent after this season. It wouldn't be surprising if the Falcons brought him back on a modest, prove-it deal.

If Ridder makes it that far, he will have a rematch with the team that drafted him. The Atlanta Falcons are scheduled to play the Raiders in Las Vegas on Week 15's Monday Night Football matchup.