Antonio Pierce Makes Questionable Announcement About Raiders Starting QB

Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.

Once the Las Vegas Raiders signed Desmond Ridder, it seemed that Gardner Minshew was on borrowed time. He is 2-7 as a starter and has thrown more intercpetions (eight) than touchdowns (six).

The bye week would’ve been the ideal time to make a move but it appears the Raiders have gotten cold feet. Head coach Antonio Pierce announced in his Wednesday press conference that Minshew will remain the start for now.

“We have to give Gardner confidence. … Let it loose,” Pierce said. “What do we have to lose at this point? We’re 2-7.”

The messaging seems to be in conflict with each other. If the Raiders have nothing to lose, why not just give Ridder a chance? It’s clear that Minshew isn’t playing good football right now. Perhaps they feel like the bye week is all he needed to work things out or maybe they believe Minshew’s struggles had more to do with former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

Regardless, this is the latest in a series of questionable decisions from Pierce and the Raiders. It’s hard to imagine Minshew’s leash is very long as he could be benched at any moment if he keeps turning the ball over. He’ll be the starter for now but Ridder needs to stay ready.

QB Named Raiders’ Biggest Need

While it’s questionable that the Raiders would continue starting Minshew, it shouldn’t make much of a difference. The team is 2-7 and far out of the playoff race. Even if Ridder is a slight upgrade over Minshew, it won’t be enough for the Raiders to turn things around.

The fact of the matter is that Las Vegas needs a long-term solution at quarterback but they won’t be able to find one until the offseason. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz believes it’s the team’s biggest need in 2025.

“Quarterback,” Schatz wrote in the Nov. 8 column. “Theoretically, sure, the Raiders could go into 2025 with Gardner Minshew (38.5 QBR) and Aidan O’Connell (48.0 QBR) competing for the job again. But should they? Not if they want to be a contender.”

The Raiders should have a high draft pick, which will help put them in position to draft a quarterback. They don’t really have any other appealing options in free agency so they have to go all-in on the draft.

Can Minshew Turn Things Around?

This is easily the worst season of Minshew’s career so far. He’s never thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in a season. While he’s never been an elite quarterback, he’s been mostly serviceable throughout his career.

However, this season, he’s been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league. It’s difficult to understand why that’s been the case. The Raiders do have a struggling offensive line and the wide receiver corps is underwhelming without Davante Adams but Minshew had success with an Indianapolis Colts offense last season that isn’t brimming with talent.

It may simply come down to coaching. It’s clear that Getsy wasn’t a good fit or else he wouldn’t have been fired. It’s possible that new offensive coordinator Scott Turner knows which buttons to push. Minshew is going to have a short leash so he needs to show improvement immediately.