Quarterback Desmond Ridder will make his first start for the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night against his former team, the Atlanta Falcons.

Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell is inactive due to a bone bruise in his left knee. He was listed as questionable.

The Falcons (6-7) drafted Ridder in the third round, No. 74 overall, in 2022 out of Cincinnati. After 19 games in two seasons with Atlanta and an 8-9 record as the Falcons’ starter, Ridder was released on August 27. The move came after the Falcons signed quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​to a four-year contract in free agency and drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Raiders signed Ridder from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad on October 22nd. He passed for 239 yards and a touchdown in limited action for the team.

O’Connell was injured late in the third quarter of the Raiders’ 28-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14. He made his second start since returning from injured reserve because of a broken thumb and threw for 899 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions in six games while completing 63.2% of his passes.

The Falcons, who have lost four straight games, need to win on Monday night to stay one game behind the Buccaneers (8-6) in the NFC South. The Raiders (2-11) have lost nine straight games, their longest losing streak this season since they started 0-10 in 2014.

ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez contributed to this report.