Getty New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers.
Outside of head coach Antonio Pierce, the biggest coaching hire the Las Vegas Raiders made this year was offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Pierce comes from a defensive background and has limited knowledge about offense so he’ll be relying on Getsy to run that side of the ball.
The coach was fired from his job as offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears this offseason after not being able to field a scoring offense that was higher than 18th in the NFL the last two seasons. However, he was a key offensive assistant for the Green Bay Packers for several seasons before heading to Chicago. He worked closely with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who recently sung Getsy’s praises.
“I love Luke Getsy, he’s a fantastic coach,” Rodgers said at the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship Tournament on July 11, per Vegas Sports Today.
Rodgers isn’t the type to sing the praises of coaches he doesn’t actually respect so this could be a good sign. Star wide receiver Davante Adams also worked with Getsy in Green Bay and he’s spoken highly of the coach. The Raiders have to hope that Chicago’s offensive struggles were more due to quarterback Justin Fields than it was due to Getsy’s playcalling ability.
“I love Davante Adams, I can’t wait to play with him…again.”
Aaron Rodgers on Davante Adams at the American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
Presented by @RN_GolfClub
Insider Gives Further Insight Into Las Vegas Raiders’ OC Search
One issue with the Getsy hiring is that he clearly wasn’t the Raiders’ first choice for offensive coordinator. The team made an offer to Kliff Kingsbury and he initially accepted before backing out.
In fact, Getsy may have been the Raiders’ third choice, according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
“The Raiders hired him after No. 1 target Kliff Kingsbury got away — he was uncomfortable with the staff and his contract — and No. 2 target Chip Kelly wanted too much,” Tafur wrote in a July 2 column. “But Getsy has always been pretty well thought of throughout the NFL. Many feel the problems in Chicago were due to quarterback Justin Fields and the Raiders obviously agreed. Getsy was the passing game coordinator for the Green Bay Packers with Aaron Rodgers and Adams, so he clearly got Adams’ endorsement. Pierce praised his work with the Bears running game last season, and Getsy said he is excited about using the Raiders’ two tight ends in creative ways. So, yeah, there is some optimism.”
Getsy’s quarterback situation may not be much better with the Raiders but Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew are better passers than Fields. He also has more weapons to work with this season.
Las Vegas Raiders Offense Has Low Ceiling
Even if it turns out that Getsy is an above-average offensive coordinator, there’s only so much he can do with this offense. Minshew is a career backup and O’Connell will turn 26 before the season despite only being in his second season.
The quarterback position for the Raiders has very limited upside. Now, that doesn’t mean the team can’t field a solid unit. Playmakers like Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers should make it easier to score points. That said, it’s hard to see this being a top-10 group this season. If they can at least be top-20, that might be enough to make a playoff run if the team has a top-10 defense again in 2024.
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Aaron Rodgers Sends Strong Message on Raiders OC Luke Getsy