The Las Vegas Raiders offense has some solid pieces on it heading into the 2024 season, but head coach Antonio Pierce still needs to figure out who will be the starting quarterback for Week 1.
When Pierce took over midway through the 2023 campaign, he promoted Aidan O’Connell as the team’s QB1 in favor of Jimmy Garoppolo, and he helped lead the Raiders to a 5-4 record. However, Las Vegas brought in competition for the starting job when they signed Gardner Minshew to a two-year deal.
O’Connell and Minshew might project more as career backups, but both players have shown flashes as starters and will compete for the starting position during training camp. Las Vegas got a chance to get some early evaluations in during OTAs, and both players made compelling cases for themselves.
However, it appears O’Connell’s previous experience playing with Adams has given him a leg up in the competition and the latter loves how the former’s taken ownership of the quarterback position per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN as transcribed by Doric Sam of Bleacher Report:
“O’Connell and Minshew in the spring went tit for tat; went after it. O’Connell probably has the slight edge right now based on coming into Year 2, being more vocal,” Fowler said. “I’m told he’s acting like a starting quarterback and Davante Adams loves him, which always helps certainly with the brownie points.”
While O’Connell might have an edge because of his relationship with Adams, Minshew is reportedly settling in well offensively:
“But Minshew has come in, shown some moxie. He’s already got the offense, he’s changing plays at the line of scrimmage, I’m told,” Fowler said. “He’s been good at the off-script stuff.”
With Minshew quickly learning the system, it could come down to the wire as to who ultimately wins out ahead of the regular season. O’Connell might represent more youth and upside given his age and lack of experience, but Minshew’s a proven commodity who can keep an offense on schedule and make plays off-script if needed.
Whoever gets the job will surely have earned it, given how neck-and-neck the competition has been so far. It’ll be interesting to see who Pierce ultimately chooses.
NFL insider believes Raiders’ long-term answer at quarterback isn’t on roster
The Raiders might be picking between O’Connell and Minshew this season, but it’s unlikely that both are in the running come next offseason because NFL insider Albert Breer believes the team’s long-term answer at quarterback isn’t on the roster.
