It’s no secret that following Jimmy Garoppolo’s dismal start to the Raiders season and his infraction of the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy, the Las Vegas Raiders team was begging for a new quarterback. In his first professional season, rookie Aidan O’Connell filled in admirably but was not particularly impressive, thus the Raiders management group went searching for a new star in the pocket.
In March 2023, “Jimmy G” agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Raiders. However, the 32-year-old’s time at Allegiant Stadium is running out, primarily because his departure frees up $11.26 million in salary space. After a terrible start to his Raiders career—he led the team in interceptions—Garoppolo was benched. Garappolo finished with 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, nine interceptions, a 65.1% pass completion percentage, and a pitiful 77.7 rating across six appearances. These are scarcely numbers that any online football bettor would be in the slightest bit enthusiastic about.
vA Seems Unlikely For Jayden Daniels
The Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of the LSU Tigers was clearly a target for the Raiders. The Raiders’ head coach Antonio Pierce and Daniels’ close bond from their time together at Arizona State has contributed to a lot of talk about the Raiders attempting to trade up to obtain Daniel.
However, the Raiders are currently set for the 13th overall pick, and the top three picks are with the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots, three franchises in desperate need of a new quarterback. Swinging a trade to move into the top three picks under these conditions is unrealistic, especially when Daniels, Drake Maye (North Carolina), and Caleb Williams (USC) are three highly-rated quarterbacks expected to be snapped up at the earliest opportunity.
O’Connell Could Come Good, But He’s Not the Man For Right Now
Nobody expected Aidan O’Connell to be thrown in at the deep end so early after being selected 135th overall in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Purdue Boilermakers man enjoyed two full college seasons as a starting quarterback and was widely expected to play second fiddle to Garoppolo for the 2023 NFL season.
Of course, fate has a beautiful way of working, and O’Connell stepped in for the injured Garoppolo on October 1 and went 24-of-39 for 238 years in a 24-17 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Exactly a month later, O’Connell was named as the Raiders starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
O’Connell was hit-and-miss throughout his rookie season, which is to be expected, especially when your first head coach loses his job midway through it. On the one hand, O’Connell only managed 171 yards and one interception in the dire 0-3 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings but then threw 248 yards and four touchdowns in the high-scoring 63-21 demolition of the Chargers. However, let’s not forget ins 9-of-21 for a mere 62 yards, including not completing a pass after the first quarter, as the Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs 20-14 on the road.
Most rookie quarterbacks need time to develop and hone their skills, but the Raiders do not have time. They need a quarterback who can consistently perform week in and week out. It is much better to have someone put in 7.5/10 performances every week than a 4/10 in one game and an 8/10 in the next.
What Does Minshew Bring to the Table?
Signing Gardner Minshew to a reported two-year, $25 million contract with $15 million guaranteed seems like a leftfield move on the Raiders’ part. At a time when the Raiders needed some stability in the quarterback position, they signed a player who had played for three different colleges for over four years and was now joining his fourth NFL team in his sixth year as a pro.
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Minshew as the 178th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Minshew was expected to play as backup to Nick Foles, but Foles broke his collarbone in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Minshew started 12 games during his rookie season, throwing 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also made 344 rushing yards from 67 attempts.
Are There Other Options Available to the Raiders?
There were rumors that the Raiders were considering throwing some money at 35-year-old Kirk Cousins, a free agent. That will not happen because Cousins just signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Another guy the Raiders are reportedly considering is Justin Fields of the Bears. Despite his lacklustre passing statistics—he has averaged 2,224 yards a season in his first three years as a pro—the dual-threat quarterback Fields is undoubtedly talented.
A more plausible scenario is that the Raiders trade up enough to choose J.J. McCarthy in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and then they can either start the 2024 Rose Bowl champion right away or give him time to develop under Minshew while still competing for a starting spot. Fans of the Raiders are in for an exciting future.
