The Las Vegas Raiders had a true quarterback competition at training camp, and head coach Antonio Pierce has seen enough to make the decision on who will be leading the offense in Week 1.
Gardner Minshew, the veteran newcomer in “Sin City,” will be leading the black and silver to open the season against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Minshew, who served as the Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback last season before being thrust into a starting role after the season-ending shoulder injury to rookie Anthony Richardson, joined the Raiders with the chance of starting this year.
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Gardner Minshew of the Raiders attempts a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during a preseason game at Allegiant Stadium on Aug. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
He has been battling it out with second-year signal caller Aidan O’Connell, who Pierce chose as his starting quarterback when he was named interim head coach last season.
It wasn’t just Pierce who signed off on O’Connell as the quarterback last year, but the players did as well. Davante Adams admitted during the Netflix docuseries “Receiver” that, when Pierce came on as interim head coach following the dismissal of Josh McDaniels, a change had to be made at quarterback from Jimmy Garoppolo, or he wasn’t going to be happy.
But, with his interim title relinquished, Pierce wanted to see a good, old-fashioned competition for who would earn the right to lead the Raiders to open the season.
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In two preseason games, Minshew has looked stellar with his new team, throwing for 212 yards on 16-of-33 passes complete with one touchdown and no interceptions. O’Connell has gone 21-of-29 for 172 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
While close in numbers, one must also consider the financial capital that the Raiders are giving Minshew, which points to another reason why he may have ended up atop the depth chart.
Minshew signed a two-year, $25 million pact this offseason to join the Raiders. Meanwhile, O’Connell, a fourth-round pick by the team last year, won’t break $1 million in base salary this season.
Quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell, left, and Gardner Minshew run through a drill at the Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters/Intermountain Healthcare Performance Center on May 29, 2024, in Henderson, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Minshew isn’t making anything close to what other big-name quarterbacks are in the league, but it’s still a large sum on the cap compared to what O’Connell is. The Raiders obviously covet what Minshew has been able to do on the field in his journeyman role.
The Raiders are Minshew’s fourth team in the NFL as he enters his sixth season. He played 17 games last season in Indy (13 starts), throwing for a career-high 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions with a 7-6 record.
Prior to that, he spent two seasons in Philadelphia, going 1-3 in his four starts, while also starting 20 total games in his first two seasons in the league with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On the other hand, O’Connell was 5-5 in his 10 starts for the Raiders in his rookie campaign, throwing for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew of the Raiders warms up before a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium on Aug. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Chris Unger/Getty Images)
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It will be “Minshew Mania” in Las Vegas to start the year in what’s expected to be another tough AFC West division to face.
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