Getty Las Vegas Raiders GM Tom Telesco.
The Las Vegas Raiders came into the offseason with a significant need at quarterback and addressed by signing Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract. Minshew hasn’t been a consistent starter in his career but will compete for the Raiders’ starting job.
However, the team may have overpaid for him. While Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus is a fan of Minshew, he named the signing as his least favorite one that Las Vegas has made this offseason.
“The Raiders get a respectable bridge starter in the fold but need to actually add the other end of the bridge, with the No. 13 pick currently burning a hole in their pocket,” Spielberger wrote in a March 21 column. “They’ll be battling the No. 11 overall pick Minnesota Vikings and No. 12 overall pick Denver Broncos to move up for a quarterback, it appears. Nonetheless, Minshew salvaged the Colts’ season and earned this contract despite his capped ceiling. At the end of the day, we’re left wondering if the Raiders could have signed another comparable bridge option for less money.”
$12.5 million a year is a steep price for a quarterback who could still be a backup. That said, quarterback is the most important position in the NFL and many teams had their seasons derailed last season due to quarterback injuries. Even if Minshew doesn’t start, he will have value to the team.
Aidan O’Connell Competing for Starting QB Job
While Gardner Minshew is the Raiders’ highest-paid quarterback, there’s no guarantee he’ll be the starter. He acknowledged when the team signed him that he was going to have to compete for the starting job.
According to The Athletic’s Mike Jones, 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell has a real chance to win the starting job this offseason.
“Minshew helped keep the Colts in the mix in the AFC South last season before they narrowly missed the playoffs,” Jones wrote in a March 22 column. “Now, he goes to Las Vegas, where he will compete with Aidan O’Connell, who as a rookie out of Purdue in 2023 replaced Jimmy Garoppolo and went 5-5 with 12 touchdown passes and seven interceptions while completing 62.1 percent of his passes. Minshew, who went 7-6 with 15 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a completion percentage of 66.2, certainly has proved he can start in this league. The Raiders like O’Connell but this should be a close competition. At the very least, Minshew offers improved depth.”
O’Connell played well across the final four games of the season. He went 3-1 as a starter and threw eight touchdowns to zero interceptions. His upside is limited but he proved that he can at least function as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Gardner Minshew on his first interaction with Maxx Crosby:
“To be around some of the best s***talkers in the NFL, it’s just gonna make me better.” #Raiders
Las Vegas Could Also Add Rookie QB
The Raiders won’t go into training camp with just Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew as the only quarterbacks on the roster. They’ll either add another one in free agency or draft one.
There’s a strong chance the team will draft a quarterback and could possibly do it in the first round. While Minshew and O’Connell are solid, neither of them is even top 20 quarterbacks in the NFL. It’s very difficult to win a Super Bowl without great quarterback play. Even if it’s in the later rounds, the Raiders need to take a swing on a young quarterback.