One of the main moves the Las Vegas Raiders made in free agency was to fortify their quarterback room as second-year pro Aidan O’Connell was the team’s only option. They did just that in signing veteran Gardner Minshew II from the Indianapolis Colts.
Minshew has proven himself to be a solid and reliable player throughout his career, both as a backup and a starter. Last season, he was 7-6 as a starter in Indianapolis, filling in for injured rookie Anthony Richardson.
Quarterbacks like Minshew, who can be relied upon to step in at a moment’s notice, are always valued, and thus, he surely had plenty of interest around the league. But that didn’t matter as the Raiders were always Minshew’s first option, via Bobby Kownack of NFL.com:
“It was my first option,” Minshew said last week on Maxx Crosby’s The Rush podcast. “When we were stacking it up, I think I was their first option. As soon as free agency started, we made the call and that was it. Couldn’t have been easier. I couldn’t have been more excited.”
The marriage between the Raiders and Minshew seemed destined from the beginning of free agency. Minshew will compete with O’Connell and whoever the franchise brings in through the draft for the starting quarterback spot next season. But regardless of where he lands on the depth chart, he is happy to be with the Raiders and believes this team has a chance to compete:
“With AP, everything I’ve heard is incredible,” he said. “Couldn’t get better reviews, like it doesn’t even sound real. Being around him a little bit, seems legit, which is really exciting. Just being around the guys in the building, everybody is on the same page. Everybody just wants to get better. Everybody wants to win. I think when you do that, you got a chance. No matter what you have going on, no matter who’s on the roster, if everybody’s pulling the same direction I think you’ve got a good chance.
“Fortunately, I think we’ve also got some dudes on the roster. I think we’ve got to bring it together in OTAs, camp, which I know we will, and, man, I’ll take our chances.”
Gardner Minshew is the type of player any team loves to have around, both on the field and in the locker room. He is ready to make some noise with the silver and black.
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce describes Gardner Minshew as a ‘wild boy’
As Minshew is happy with his decision and what he’s seen from head coach Antonio Pierce, the same can be said in the opposite direction.
Pierce had a lot of praise for the Raiders’ new quarterback, calling him a ‘wild boy’ and a culture fit because of his tenacity and ability to fight through adversity.
