Getty Would the Raiders quarterback situation improve by bringing in Zach Wilson?
There is a giant question mark in the Raiders quarterback spot, and it’s still impossible to say how the team will give that question an answer.
The Raiders have one usable quarterback on the roster, incumbent Aidan O’Connell, who was named the starter as a rookie in Week 9 following the firing of coach Josh McDaniels. But O’Connell’s season was rocky and he’s no guarantee to be the Week 1 starter in 2024.
The Raiders have some much-discussed options to fill the position, most of which involve adding a veteran with some proven chops to at least challenge O’Connell for the job, and adding a rookie to groom behind them. But a new one has emerged: bringing in a former No. 2 overall player who has been a bust through three seasons and seeing if he can turn things around with the Raiders.
That bust: Zach Wilson, who has been given permission to seek a trade from the Jets. And it’s Cody Benjamin at CBS Sports who is suggesting that’s a move the Raiders should make.
“They need a QB, and while Wilson may not be that guy, he’d at least offer more competition for Aidan O’Connell under center. That is, of course, if the new regime doesn’t work hard to leave the first round of the 2024 draft with a new signal-caller, and/or swing bigger via trade for someone like Justin Fields,” Benjamin wrote.
Raiders Quarterback: 4 Main Options Available
Those are the contours of the Raiders’ decision at quarterback. Basically, there are four options:
- Try to get in on a bustling quarterback market in the first round. The Raiders could attempt to move up into the Top 3 in the draft and pick Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels. All three have star potential, and the Raiders need a star at the position. They also could attempt to get JJ McCarthy, in hopes that he falls to No. 13. But they’re also a team on the cusp of returning to the playoffs, and putting their short-term future in the hands of a rookie risks that.
- Sign a clear starter in free agency. There are not many of these on the market, and though there is some sense to the Raiders getting the likes of Baker Mayfield or Kirk Cousins, they’d be expensive and each would probably prefer to play elsewhere. Russell Wilson could be available, too, but he might not be better than O’Connell.
- Trade for a clear starter. Again, the options here would be limited. Justin Fields makes some sense. Not many other starters are on the market.
- Add a “bridge” quarterback. The Raiders could sign or trade for a moderately priced option, including veteran free agents Sam Darnold, Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew. The idea would be that O’Connell could beat any of them out for the starting job or, if the wheels fall of for him in Year 2, there’s a steady hand to pick up the slack. The Raiders could draft a quarterback with a later pick, too, in this scenario.
Zach Wilson Ranked 34th of 38 QBs Last Year
After three disappointing years in New York, where he went 12-21 as a starter, Wilson does not fit neatly into any of those categories. He has a career quarterback rating of 73.2, and ranked 34th of 38 quarterbacks with a 58.2 grade at Pro Football Focus.
Wilson is likely a bridge, but at 24 years old, he is actually younger than the 25-year-old O’Connell and Wilson would hardly count as a steady hand.
But, as Benjamin wrote, he could compete with O’Connell. Despite his struggles in New York, Wilson has talent, or else he would not have been the No. 2 pick. Perhaps playing with stars like Davante Adams and, if he returns, Josh Jacobs would allow him to better tap into that talent.
It’s a longshot, though. The Raiders have a very good defense and need to put together an offense that can simply grind its way to the middle of the pack without making mistakes, and the team should very well be in position to get back to the postseason.
Wilson will get a shot elsewhere. Probably not in Las Vegas, though.