The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback situation continues to loom large as NFL free agency nears. While the Raiders have been closely linked to signing Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, there are still some quarterbacks at home that they must take care of first.
Gardner Minshew bested Aidan O’Connell in the pre season to earn the starting quarterback role with the Raiders in 2024. Of the listed starting quarterbacks last season, Minshew ranked 31st in quarterback ratings with a 38.1.
Minshew battled injury all season and was eventually sidelined due to a broken collerbone, giving O’Connell the starting role to close out the season. When Minshew was active, he did not put together his best football, as it was clearly reflected in his QBR.
In his first 10 games as a Raider, Minshew had 203 completions go for 2,013 passing yards. He also tossed 10 touchdowns and had a passer rating of 81.0. Las Vegas signed Minshew to a two year deal for the 2024 and 2025 season, as his second season in Las Vegas will be taking a jump in his base pay.
Set to make $12.5 million this season with a base pay of $11.84 million. Considering the Raiders are looking to add a franchise quarterback to the offense, Minshew’s days as a Raider could be numbered. But there is one way he could be retained.
If the Raiders were to go out and find their guy to man the quarterback position, both O’Connell and Minshew could be utilized as backup options, similar to how O’Connell and Desmond Ridder were this past season for Minshew.
The only caveat is that Minshew currently makes more than O’Connell and it seems unlikely that Minshew would gladly accept playing as a third thing. Giving the glimpses O’Connell has shown over his first two season’s, Minshew could be the odd man out.
The worst case scenario for the Raiders is to run back Minshew as their starting quarterback, but if they are able to retain him as a backup option, it would provide the franchise more depth, while they eat the remaining costs of his contract.
Unless the Raiders can find a trading partner to take Minshew off their hands, the possibility of being cut doesn’t seem outlandish either. If the Raiders can pull off a franchise quarterback, Minshew’s career in the Silver and Black looks unclear.
