Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
The Las Vegas Raiders may have found their starting quarterback for the 2024 season. Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew is signing with the team, per a March 11 X post from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Sources: The #Raiders have agreed to terms with QB Gardner Minshew on a 2-year deal. He’ll compete with QB Aidan O’Connell.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero followed up with the contract details. Minshew is getting two years, $25 million with $15 million fully guaranteed.
Compensation update: The #Raiders are signing QB Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million deal that includes $15M fully guaranteed, per sources.
Strong money for their potential 2024 starting QB.
This is a good contract for Minshew after starting 13 games for the Colts last season for an injured Anthony Richardson. He nearly led Indianapolis to the playoffs after going 7-6 as a starter. Minshew threw for 15 touchdowns to just nine interceptions en route to his first Pro Bowl in 2023.
Minshew has been a fan favorite across the NFL thanks to his mullet and wildman persona. He’s mostly served as a backup in recent years but has always played well when he’s been called on to play. He’s thrown 59 touchdowns to just 24 interceptions throughout his career. Minshew first came into the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 and also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’ll now get the chance to earn a consistent starting spot for the first time in his career.
Will Gardner Minshew Start in 2024?
$25 million is a lot to give a potential backup quarterback. With Jimmy Garoppolo likely being released soon, the Raiders aren’t dedicating much money to the quarterback position. Even if they were to draft a quarterback early, they wouldn’t be paying them much.
However, it’s looking like Gardner Minshew will be the favorite to start for the Raiders in 2024. He will likely need to compete with Aidan O’Connell but Minshew will have the edge. When the Raiders and Colts played in 2023, Minshew led Indianapolis to the 23-20 win.
The biggest wild card is whether or not the Raiders draft a quarterback early. If they do, then there will be a serious competition for who the starting quarterback will be next season. If it’s just Minshew and O’Connell, it’s likely that the former will win out considering his contract. Regardless, adding Minshew gives the Raiders a capable quarterback who can win games if they aren’t able to find their franchise quarterback this offseason.
Will Las Vegas Raiders Still Draft a QB?
The Gardner Minshew news could mean that the Raiders don’t like their chances of landing a top quarterback this year. That said, it’s still too early in the process to know for sure. If Las Vegas drafts a quarterback, Minshew would be a very strong quarterback for them to learn behind for a couple of seasons.
What this signing does is give the Raiders some flexibility heading into the draft. Minshew’s contract isn’t so big that they have to start him. If a rookie comes in and outperforms him, it’s not a huge amount of money to deal with.
If the Raiders can’t land a quarterback, they’ll have somebody who can run the offense for at least a season. It’s better for the team to work from a position of strength in this situation. Aidan O’Connell and Minshew have proven that they can start games and play effectively. While neither is going to put up huge numbers, the Raiders could certainly do worse.