The Las Vegas Raiders are Fernando Mendoza’s team going forward. If everything goes to plan, he’ll be the starting quarterback for the next 10+ years.
However, backup quarterbacks have never been this important in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings just shelled out a third-round pick to trade for Kirk Cousins because their backup quarterback situation is so dire.
Luckily, the Raiders have Aidan O’Connell to back up Mendoza, and he has started in 17 games across his career. But with Cousins gone, the team only has two quarterbacks on the roster.
Whether it be on the practice squad or the active roster, the Raiders would be wise to add another quarterback. According to head coach Klint Kubiak, the team is discussing its options.
“Definitely in discussion with that, yes,” Kubiak said when asked if the Raiders are looking into bringing in another quarterback.
There aren’t many great options available this late in the season, but we’re going to break down which quarterbacks the Raiders could target.
Jacob Clark
If the Raiders are going the practice squad route, Jacob Clark is the obvious choice. He signed with the team as an undrafted free agent in the offseason and spent all of training camp in Las Vegas.
Since the team already had Mendoza, Cousins and O’Connell, there was no room to bring him back. No other teams have given him a chance, so he’s likely been pursuing other career paths. None of those other options would be as exciting as playing quarterback in the NFL, even if it’s on the practice squad.
If the Raiders feel good about having a young quarterback room led by Mendoza, Clark should know the system and be a good fit on the practice squad.
Cooper Rush
O’Connell and Mendoza are both young quarterbacks, so the Raiders might feel eager to bring in an older veteran to help continue to mentor the rookie. Now, somebody like Derek Carr or Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t going to return to the Raiders to be a practice squad player or a third-string quarterback.
That’s why somebody like Cooper Rush could make sense. He’s a career backup, but he’s been in the NFL for nearly a decade. He’d bring a lot of experience to the quarterback room. Plus, he’s been a backup for most of his career, so he won’t have a problem continuing to be in that role.
Brandon Allen
If Kubiak is looking for somebody who he has experience with, Brandon Allen could be an option. The two were together on the San Francisco 49ers in 2023. Though the team wasn’t running Kubiak’s system, it’s a similar philosophy that Allen should understand well.
Similar to Rush, Allen is a career backup, so there’s no pressure to give him a lot of reps in practice. Since he’s familiar with Kubiak, he could have a similar role to Cousins, but without having to play. He is also somebody who would be comfortable being on the practice squad, so the Raiders wouldn’t have to open up an active roster spot for him.
3 Available Options After Klint Kubiak Suggests Raiders Will Sign QB