After two preseason contests, a decision has been made at the quarterback spot for the Raiders. Head coach Antonio Pierce announced on Sunday that Gardner Minshew will get the nod for Week 1.
Minshew had spent the offseason competing with Aidan O’Connell for the QB1 gig. The latter closed out the 2023 season atop the depth chart, taking over from Jimmy Garoppolo after Josh McDaniels was fired and replaced by Pierce. Raiders owner Mark Davis – who regretted not previously giving the full-time coaching position to Rich Bisaccia – tapped Pierce for the job as one of the key decisions of this offseason.
That move gave O’Connell an ally ahead of the competition which took place over the spring and much of training camp. Pierce praised the 2023 fourth-rounder, who complied a 5-5 record, 12:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 83.9 passer rating while at the helm last year. Upon moving on from Garoppolo, though, it was clear at least one other passer capable of competing for the starter’s role would be added. Vegas was frequently tied to moving up for a Day 1 quarterback (particularly Jayden Daniels), with Pierce appearing to be a stronger advocate of doing so than new general manager Tom Telesco.
In the end, the Raiders selected tight end Brock Bowers on the opening night of the draft, paving the way for Minshew to take hold of the top QB spot. The latter inked a two-year, $25MM deal in free agency – terms which suggested he would be counted on as a first-team option especially if no rookie was added. Minshew received $15MM guaranteed, and he has a commitment for 2025 as well with $3.16MM of his base salary for that season already locked in. Indianapolis (the team which the 28-year-old spent last season with) was interested in retaining him, but the Colts were not willing to match the financial investment made by the Raiders.
Vegas moved on from Derek Carr last offseason, paving the way for a new quarterback to handle the starter’s role for the first time since 2014. Garoppolo was unable to remain healthy for long in his debut Raiders campaign, though, and Davante Adams was among the players who was on board with the decision to bench him. As the team looks to take a needed step forward in the passing game, Adams will have another new face under center to begin 2024.
Minshew entered training camp with the competition too close to call, and Pierce made it clear he was willing to remain patient before making a final decision. It was expected that a commitment would be made official after Week 2 of the preseason, however, and that has proven to be the case. Pierce admitted (via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez) after the team’s loss to the Cowboys that neither quarterback had demonstrably stood out over the other. He consulted with both Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy before tapping Minshew for the gig (h/t Tashan Reed of The Athletic).
To little surprise, Pierce added that the Raiders will not play their starters in their final preseason contest. Minshew will thus be a spectator for that contest while preparing for QB1 duties with his latest team. The former sixth-rounder saw his Jaguars tenure come to an end after two seasons in Jacksonville. He handled backup duties in Philadelphia during the 2021 and ’22 campaigns, working with Shane Steichen during that time. Minshew elected to join Steichen in Indianapolis last year, and Anthony Richardson‘s season-ending shoulder injury left him in place to handle starting duties for much of the season.
Minshew set a new career high in passing yards (3,305) in 2023, earning a Pro Bowl invite. His touchdown (15) and completion percentage (62.2%) figures left plenty to be desired though, and an improvement would be welcomed by the Raiders this season. With O’Connell still in place as a backup with three years remaining on his rookie contract, it will be Minshew who gets the first opportunity to lead Vegas’ offense during Pierce’s first full season at the helm.
