Latest On Raiders’ QB Decision
As expected, the Raiders unveiled their quarterback plan after their second preseason contest. Head coach Antonio Pierce announced on Sunday that veteran Gardner Minshew will handle starting duties to begin the campaign. 
That move ran counter to the way things were shaping up at the start of the offseason. Incumbent Aidan O’Connell worked with the first-team offense during the spring, and Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes the 2023 fourth-rounder threw fewer interceptions during practice than Minshew (subscription required). The latter’s mobility – and the importance of that skillet in OC Luke Getsy‘s system – was a key factor in winning the competition, though.
“There’s a lot of factors, so we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that’s what we’re going with,” Pierce said when announcing the decision (via Tafur). “His personality is infectious … his leadership is infectious. Things [to improve on], footwork in the pocket, staying on script. There’s some magic about him when he does break the pocket and does his thing, but there’s a lot of times where if the first or second read is there, we got to let it rip.”
O’Connell’s arm strength and accuracy were more impressive during the offseason than Minshew’s, Tafur adds, but not by a large margin. As a result, the former sixth-rounder will get the opportunity to at least kick off the season atop the depth chart. Minshew has 37 starts to his name, including 13 last year when he took over for the injured Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. His 84.6 passer rating helped keep the Colts in contention for a postseason berth through Week 18, but a more efficient output will be asked of him with the Raiders.
Minshew inked a two-year, $25MM deal in free agency and secured $15MM in guarantees in the process. The Colts were interested in keeping him in the fold as Richardson insurance, but the team was not prepared to match that financial commitment. With $3.16MM of his 2025 salary already locked in, the 28-year-old has a chance of remaining in Vegas regardless of how he performs in his latest QB1 gig.
O’Connell has three years remaining on his rookie contract, so he too should be assured of a roster spot for the foreseeable future (although the Raiders pursued a move up the first-round order during the draft to secure a quarterback and the team has frequently been named as a candidate to make a free agent addition under center next March). The Purdue alum – who drew considerable praise from Pierce after his rookie campaign and through the early portion of the offseason – could still get an opportunity if Minshew were to miss time through injury or struggle in the early going, but losing an open competition obviously represents a discouraging sign for his future starting potential in Vegas.
Raiders Name Gardner Minshew Starting QB
After two preseason contests, a decision has been made at the quarterback spot for the Raiders. Head coach Antonio Pierce announced on Sunday that Gardner Minshew will get the nod for Week 1.
Minshew had spent the offseason competing with Aidan O’Connell for the QB1 gig. The latter closed out the 2023 season atop the depth chart, taking over from Jimmy Garoppolo after Josh McDaniels was fired and replaced by Pierce. Raiders owner Mark Davis – who regretted not previously giving the full-time coaching position to Rich Bisaccia – tapped Pierce for the job as one of the key decisions of this offseason.
That move gave O’Connell an ally ahead of the competition which took place over the spring and much of training camp. Pierce praised the 2023 fourth-rounder, who complied a 5-5 record, 12:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 83.9 passer rating while at the helm last year. Upon moving on from Garoppolo, though, it was clear at least one other passer capable of competing for the starter’s role would be added. Vegas was frequently tied to moving up for a Day 1 quarterback (particularly Jayden Daniels), with Pierce appearing to be a stronger advocate of doing so than new general manager Tom Telesco.
In the end, the Raiders selected tight end Brock Bowers on the opening night of the draft, paving the way for Minshew to take hold of the top QB spot. The latter inked a two-year, $25MM deal in free agency – terms which suggested he would be counted on as a first-team option especially if no rookie was added. Minshew received $15MM guaranteed, and he has a commitment for 2025 as well with $3.16MM of his base salary for that season already locked in. Indianapolis (the team which the 28-year-old spent last season with) was interested in retaining him, but the Colts were not willing to match the financial investment made by the Raiders.
Vegas moved on from Derek Carr last offseason, paving the way for a new quarterback to handle the starter’s role for the first time since 2014. Garoppolo was unable to remain healthy for long in his debut Raiders campaign, though, and Davante Adams was among the players who was on board with the decision to bench him. As the team looks to take a needed step forward in the passing game, Adams will have another new face under center to begin 2024.
Minshew entered training camp with the competition too close to call, and Pierce made it clear he was willing to remain patient before making a final decision. It was expected that a commitment would be made official after Week 2 of the preseason, however, and that has proven to be the case. Pierce admitted (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) after the team’s loss to the Cowboys that neither quarterback had demonstrably stood out over the other. He consulted with both Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy before tapping Minshew for the gig (h/t Tashan Reed of The Athletic).
To little surprise, Pierce added that the Raiders will not play their starters in their final preseason contest. Minshew will thus be a spectator for that contest while preparing for QB1 duties with his latest team. The former sixth-rounder saw his Jaguars tenure come to an end after two seasons in Jacksonville. He handled backup duties in Philadelphia during the 2021 and ’22 campaigns, working with Shane Steichen during that time. Minshew elected to join Steichen in Indianapolis last year, and Anthony Richardson‘s season-ending shoulder injury left him in place to handle starting duties for much of the season.
Minshew set a new career high in passing yards (3,305) in 2023, earning a Pro Bowl invite. His touchdown (15) and completion percentage (62.2%) figures left plenty to be desired though, and an improvement would be welcomed by the Raiders this season. With O’Connell still in place as a backup with three years remaining on his rookie contract, it will be Minshew who gets the first opportunity to lead Vegas’ offense during Pierce’s first full season at the helm.
Raiders’ Starting QB To Be Announced Next Week
Last we heard, the Raiders were in no hurry to announce who would enter the 2024 NFL season as their starting quarterback. That was two weeks ago, and now, that tune has changed. Head coach Antonio Pierce has stated that the team’s “goal is to announce a starter following the team’s next exhibition game,” per ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. 
So, what changed to prompt Pierce to decide that it’s time? “We’ve got to get ready to play football, and I think we’ve got enough film,” Pierce told the media following the team’s first preseason contest. “We’ll have two games here (by that point) to evaluate both quarterbacks to see how they’ll play.”
It’s currently a two-man race between veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year passer Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell started 10 games (including the last nine games of the season) for Las Vegas last year as a fourth-round rookie out of Purdue. Taking over for a benched Jimmy Garoppolo, he went 5-5 in those starts, completing 62.1 percent of his passes with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Minshew’s career as a starter has been a rollercoaster. Drafted out of Washington State as a backup for Nick Foles in Jacksonville, Minshew was immediately pushed into action when Foles suffered an injury that would keep him out for most of the season. Minshew became an overnight sensation that season, going 6-6 in 12 starts and throwing 21 touchdowns to only six interceptions. He entered the following season as the starter, but injuries and a 1-7 record pushed him out of the role.
Minshew was traded to the Eagles, where he started four games over the next two years as a backup to Jalen Hurts. His rookie contract expired, Minshew signed with the Colts, hoping to win an open starting job post-Matt Ryan. Indianapolis ended up drafting Anthony Richardson fourth overall in the first round, but Richardson got hurt, eventually missing the final 12 games of the season. Minshew took over as the Colts’ starter, and returned to his usual self, excelling as a surprise starter. In 13 starts, Minshew went 7-6 last year.
O’Connell started the Raiders’ first preseason game, playing one quarter of football. He went seven of nine for 76 yards as he led the team on an 83-yard field goal drive to open the scoring for Las Vegas. Minshew took over in the second quarter, playing four series. He completed six of 12 pass attempts for 117 yards and a touchdown.
The Raiders were viewed as a team that could have drafted a quarterback in the first round back in April, one that could have competed with these two unlikely starting candidates, but they instead opted to select the draft’s top tight end prospect in Georgia’s Brock Bowers. In a recent interview on Scoop City, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco detailed that the team didn’t “pass” on a quarterback, he just believes the draft didn’t shake out in a way that allowed them to take a passer. There were six quarterbacks taken before their selection, and the next passer wasn’t selected until the fifth round. If something fell to them, the Raiders might have had another competitor for this job. As it played out, though, they instead got a new weapon for the competitors they have now.
Those competitors will now have a week to prove their mettle. A week of practices and a preseason game against the Cowboys is all they have now to prove they deserve the starting job. We’ll keep a close eye on any developments in the coming week.
Raiders HC Antonio Pierce In No Hurry To Name QB1
Once the Raiders exited the 2024 draft without a new quarterback in tow, it became clear that 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell and free agent acquisition Gardner Minshew would compete for the starting job. Despite Minshew’s more extensive experience and the fact that he signed a notable contract with Las Vegas this offseason – two years, $25MM – head coach Antonio Pierce said back in March that the road to the QB1 post would go through O’Connell.
Following mandatory minicamps in June, O’Connell seemingly still had a slight edge over Minshew, with the understanding that training camp would serve as the definitive test. As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, the competition between the two passers is real, and O’Connell continues to acquit himself nicely. Per Breer, the second-year pro carried himself like a starter throughout spring practices, played well, and won the trust of the club’s veteran core, including wideout Davante Adams (who appears to have had a say in the Raiders’ 2023 decision to bench veteran Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of O’Connell).
That said, Pierce has walked back his March comments just a bit, noting that there is not yet a leader in the Minshew-O’Connell race and that he is not in a hurry to name a starter.
Pierce said he would make his decision, “when it’s right, when it’s obvious…[when] it’s a no-brainer. No need to rush it. But when it’s clear, when it’s evident, then you need to make that decision” (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez).
Obviously, those comments offer nothing by way of a timeframe, and it is fair to expect the competition to carry over into the preseason slate. In the meantime, Minshew and O’Connell will presumably continue splitting first-team reps.
O’Connell, who will turn 26 before the start of the 2024 campaign, struggled with turnovers early in his time at the helm in 2023 before settling down in that regard; over the course of his final six games, he posted a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The Raiders relied on a ground-heavy attack during that time, but the Purdue alum offered enough to suggest he could develop into a starting-caliber option. Increasing his 202 passing yards per game average to an extent would be necessary to achieve that, of course.
The 28-year-old Minshew, by contrast, is more of a known commodity. The former Jaguar and Eagle joined the Colts last offseason to reunite with Shane Steichen, who served as Minshew’s offensive coordinator in Philadelphia over the 2021-22 seasons before accepting Indianapolis’ HC post in February 2023. That move proved to be an important one for player and team alike since Anthony Richardson spent much of his rookie campaign on the sidelines due to injury. Minshew logged 13 starts and threw for a career-high 3,305 yards last season, nearly leading Indianapolis to a postseason berth and earning a Pro Bowl invite in the process.
In the poll of PFR readership that we published earlier this month, nearly two-thirds of the voters predicted that Minshew would win the starting gig.
Davante Adams Addresses Raiders’ Decision To Bench Jimmy Garoppolo
The Raiders signed Jimmy Garoppolo last offseason, but he struggled early in the campaign. That was followed by a pair of missed contests and the midseason firings of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. By the time the veteran quarterback was healthy, he had been benched in favor of rookie Aidan O’Connell. 
[RELATED: Recapping Raiders’ Offseason]
The latter held starting duties through the remainder of the season, a period with interim head coach Antonio Pierce at the helm. Pierce was hired on a full-time basis after receiving the endorsement of several high-profile Raiders players. One of those was wideout Davante Adams, who appears to have had a say in the decision to replace Garoppolo with O’Connell.
A scene from Netflix’s Receiver series shows Adams being asked his thoughts on the QB decision. The three-time All-Pro replies, “well, my opinion on that was that I signed off on that, and that’s just the reality of it” (h/t Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk).
It comes as little surprise Adams’ opinion would be asked about a quarterback switch, but his remark suggests further frustration between he and the team could have emerged had Garoppolo stayed in place. Adams joined Vegas in the hopes of reuniting with former college teammate Derek Carr, but that was only the case for one year. Carr’s departure prompted the ill-fated Garoppolo signing and questions about Adams’ future with the Raiders. It seems his desire to remain with the organization was a factor in his view on the shift to O’Connell.
“I love Jimmy.” the 31-year-old added. “He’s a great guy, but something had to happen in order for us to have a chance down the stretch, and for me to remain a Raider, in all honesty.”
Adams recently offered a public commitment to Vegas despite continued interest on the part of former teammates (including Aaron Rodgers) to have him seek a trade elsewhere. Such a move is unlikely at this point, but it is clear Adams had his short- and long-term future in mind when giving his thoughts on the Raiders’ 2023 QB depth chart. O’Connell is still in place, and he will spend training camp competing for the No. 1 gig with Gardner Minshew.
As for Adams, three years remain on his contract (although no guaranteed salary is in place beyond 2024). The six-time Pro Bowler’s cap hits are scheduled to spike next offseason, so an extension or other adjustment could be needed by that point. It will be interesting to see how he meshes with O’Connell and/or Minshew over the course of the coming campaign during Pierce’s first full year as head coach.
Poll: Who Will Win Raiders’ QB Competition?
Training camp and the preseason in 2024 will decide plenty of position battles around the NFL. With respect to quarterbacks, though, few starting gigs are truly unaccounted for this offseason. The Raiders represent an exception. 
Vegas’ 2023 Jimmy Garoppolo investment did not pay off as hoped, and he was released after one injury-shortened campaign with the team. Garoppolo’s injury opened the door for Aidan O’Connell to see game action over the second half of the campaign, one in which Josh McDaniels was replaced by Antonio Pierce. The latter was given the full-time gig this spring, and that decision left a fan of O’Connell’s in the building.
Pierce said in March the 2023 fourth-rounder would open any QB competition in pole position. The Raiders were subsequently linked to adding a passer in the first round of the draft, with Pierce appearing to be more on board with a move up the order than new general manager Tom Telesco. In the end, Vegas remained in place on Day 1 and as a result did not add further competition to O’Connell and free agent signing Gardner Minshew.
The latter inked a two-year, $25MM deal in March to join the Raiders. That agreement – a rather lucrative one for a backup – put to rest consideration of a potential Justin Fields acquisition but did not ensure Minshew a first-team role. The 28-year-old was instead viewed as an insurance policy for any rookie the team added as an eventual starter. With such a move not coming to fruition, O’Connell and Minshew will compete for the Week 1 nod this summer.
O’Connell, 25, struggled with turnovers early in his time at the helm before settling down in that regard. Over the course of his final six games, he posted a 9:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Vegas relied on a ground-heavy attack during that time, but the Purdue alum offered enough to suggest he could develop into a starting-caliber option. Increasing his 202 passing yards per game average to an extent would be necessary to achieve that, of course.
Minshew, by contrast, is much more of a known commodity. The former Jaguar and Eagle joined the Colts last offseason to reunite with Shane Steichen. That move proved to be an important one for team and player with much of Anthony Richardson‘s rookie campaign spent on the sidelines due to injury. Minshew logged 13 starts and threw for a career-high 3,305 yards last season, nearly leading Indianapolis to a postseason berth and earning a Pro Bowl invite.
The most recent update on the competition noted that O’Connell may have a slight edge on Minshew entering training camp as the team’s familiar QB option. The Raiders have a different offensive coordinator (Luke Getsy) in place for 2024, though, something which should level the playing field in that respect from Minshew’s perspective. The depth chart will be finalized based on each passer’s performances in the summer, which will consist of split training camp reps and could involve both getting significant preseason playing time.
In the end, who do you feel will win out and earn the starting gig? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and give your thoughts in the comments section below:
Latest On Raiders’ QB Competition
Raiders general manager Tom Telesco made it clear this spring the team would conduct a genuine competition for the starting quarterback job. 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell and free agent addition Gardner Minshew split first-team reps in OTAs and minicamp, setting up an interesting situation for the summer.
O’Connell took over from Jimmy Garoppolo midway through last season, and his final weeks of the campaign in particular led to strong endorsements from head coach Antonio Pierce. The 25-year-old received a vote of confidence to enter camp atop the depth chart, but Vegas was among the teams known to be interested in adding a first-round rookie quarterback. In the end, the Raiders did not have the option to trade into a top three slot and add a passer.
Minshew signed a two-year, $25MM contract in March to provide Vegas with either an experienced bridge starter or a veteran capable of stepping in for a rookie. The team viewed him as an insurance policy for any potential draft additions, but with none being made the 28-year-old will have a chance to win the QB1 gig during the summer. He may have ground to make up once training camp opens, though.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler noted during a recent SportsCenter appearance that while the Raiders’ competition is a “real battle,” O’Connell may have the lead at this point. Familiarity with the team is a factor in his potential edge (along with, as Fowler notes, support from wideout Davante Adams) although Vegas has installed a new scheme this offseason under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Fowler does add that Minshew has grown comfortable in the team’s offense as well, leaving plenty to be decided in the coming weeks.
Fowler predicts both O’Connell and Minshew could wind up seeing playing time in the preseason, something which is generally not the case for starters at many positions (especially quarterback) these days. If training camp practices are not sufficient for a leading candidate to emerge, though, Pierce may be required to use both signal-callers in game action to determine the order of the depth chart.
O’Connell is attached to his rookie contract for three more years at cap hits no larger than $1.27MM. Minshew, meanwhile, has scheduled cap charges of just $5.84MM and $3.16MM over the next two seasons thanks to the void years present in his deal. The Raiders will therefore have a cost-effective QB tandem in 2024, but it remains to be seen who will get the nod for Week 1.
Latest On Raiders’ QB Situation
While the Raiders ended up leaving the draft without a quarterback, the team considered rookie signal-callers up until the buzzer. In fact, the team’s previous offseason moves helped set them up for whatever the draft threw their way.
[RELATED: Raiders To Hold QB Competition Between O’Connell, Minshew]
As Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes, the Raiders’ signing of Gardner Minshew was effectively “insurance” in case they couldn’t land one of the draft’s top QB prospects. Considering free agency comes a few months before the draft, the organization added Minshew with the understanding that the veteran could be a seat warmer for a first-round QB or he could be their full-time starter in 2024.
It ended up being the latter. As Bonsignore notes, the Raiders were eager to move up in the draft, but they only had their eyes on the projected top-three picks (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye). The Bears, Commanders, and Patriots were unwilling to budge, and the Raiders front office believed they’d be reaching for the second-tier of QBs at No. 13.
Of course, the Raiders didn’t even have the opportunity to consider a reach, as Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, and Bo Nix all flew off the board before it was the Raiders’ turn to pick. Penix may have been the wildcard in this grouping. While Bonsignore notes that no one knows how the front office would have proceeded if the Washington product was there at No. 13, the Raiders never considered moving up the board to acquire the QB.
So, with the organization opting against a rookie QB, the team will be temporarily handing the reigns to either Minshew or Aidan O’Connell. Minshew’s two-year contract includes $15MM guaranteed on a deal worth $25MM. That value may be a bit high for a backup, but it certainly wouldn’t be enough to stop the Raiders from considering other options. O’Connell had a chance to start at the end of the 2023 campaign, with the former fourth-rounder posting a passer rating of 83.9 while registering a 12:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Tom Telesco: Raiders To Hold QB Competition Between Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew
The Raiders were among the teams most frequently linked to a move up the first-round draft order aimed at securing one of the class’ top quarterbacks. Jayden Daniels in particular was a key target, and head coach Antonio Pierce was reportedly more willing than general manager Tom Telesco to put together a trade-up move on Day.
In the end, though, Vegas retained the No. 13 pick. Somewhat surprisingly, that allowed the team to add tight end Brock Bowers, one of the prospects deemed a lock to hear his name called in the top 10. Bowers – who has inked his rookie deal – will no doubt play a notable role during his rookie season, but it remains to be seen who he will be catching passes from in 2024.
The Raiders turned to Aidan O’Connell to close out the 2023 season. As a rookie, the former fourth-rounder posted a passer rating of 83.9 while registering a 12:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He drew praise from Pierce ahead of the draft, with the latter suggesting O’Connell would be in pole position for any summer QB competition. His rival for the QB1 spot, of course, is veteran Gardner Minshew.
After serving as the Colts’ starter for much of the 2023 campaign, Minshew inked a two-year, $25MM deal in free agency. The 27-year-old is far more experienced than O’Connell, and he could provide the Raiders with a higher floor during the transition to a new coaching staff this year. Both passers will have an avenue to the starting gig this summer, though.
“That’s the plan is to have both those guys really compete through the offseason program, but more so in training camp, and we’ll see how it plays out,” Telesco said of O’Connell and Minshew during an appearance on NFL Total Access. “I thought Aidan did an excellent job last year in a really difficult situation where the head coach changed, the coordinator changed, and he played really good football down the stretch.
“And then with Gardner, you know, Gardner played well last year with the Colts. I mean, he was in the Pro Bowl, so obviously had a pretty good year. He’s always performed at a high level when he’s given that opportunity, so to have both those guys here competing for the job, we’ll see how it goes.”
Six signal-callers were drafted in the first round, and at least three of them (Caleb Williams, Daniels and Bo Nix) will likely begin the season atop the depth chart. The other Day 1 selections – Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy – are positioned to take over as QB1 in the relatively near future on their respective teams. That will likely lead to few genuine training camp competitions under center in 2024, but the Raiders will be a team to watch closely on that front.
Latest On Aidan O’Connell, Raiders’ QB Situation
The Raiders are one of several teams doing homework on quarterbacks in advance of April’s draft. Adding a passer would comes as little surprise at this point, but incumbent Aidan O’Connell is still in play to serve as the team’s Week 1 starter.
[RELATED: Justin Fields Eyed Potential Raiders Trade]
“Well, you know you can’t have two quarterbacks on the roster, right? So, we know we have to add some,” head coach Antonio Pierce said about the team’s depth chart (via NFL.com). “The next wave is the draft. So we’ll see.”
Well before free agency opened, Pierce confirmed the Raiders would sign a veteran passer to replace Jimmy Garoppolo while noting O’Connell would have the chance to compete for the starter’s role. Gardner Minshew – who took over as the Colts’ starter after Anthony Richardson‘s season-ending injury – was added on a two-year, $25MM deal, terms which mean he will likely also be in the mix for the QB1 role.
Vegas currently owns pick No. 13, well short of the range of the top passers in the 2024 class. The team has been connected to an aggressive move up the board, though, and Jayden Daniels has a ‘30 visit‘ lined up. The same is also true of Michael Penix Jr., and other options could be available depending on when the Raiders’ first selection is ultimately made. A long-term investment at the position could bring about much-needed stability, but O’Connell would still have a shot at retaining the starting gig even with a high draft selection.
“At the end of the day, listen, Aidan O’Connell played his ass off,” Pierce added. “He did a helluva job for us. You’re talking about a kid that has the mental toughness to play in the National Football League. Whatever happens and whatever we do it has to go through Aidan O’Connell. Being honest with you because he’s earned that right.”
The 2023 fourth-rounder made 10 starts last season, including each of the last nine to close out the campaign. O’Connell threw seven total interceptions, although only one of those occurred over the final six games of the year. Building off that improved ball security would certainly help the Purdue product’s chances of holding down the role he had to finish off last season. 2024 will have a number of new faces on the field, along the sidelines and in the front office for the Raiders; it will be interesting to see how the team’s QB depth chart shakes out over the course of the summer.