A second-year Chicago Bears quarterback might be an intriguing trade option for a desperate Las Vegas Raiders team before Week 1 of the regular season. On Sunday morning, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce named Gardner Minshew the team’s starter in Week 1.
The Las Vegas Raiders have QB issues
However, Pierce reluctantly gave Minshew the title. Pierce said after the Raiders’ loss to the Cowboys on Saturday night that second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell and Minshew didn’t have a great training camp.
“Everybody wants to see a player just take it and say, ‘I’m your guy,’ like I’ve been saying from Day 1,” Pierce said. “Obviously [that’s] probably not the case. So we’re going to have to make a decision, and we’re going to live with it, and we’re going to support whoever that quarterback is for the Raiders going forward.”
Things are so bad with the Las Vegas passing scheme that Pierce had his offensive line make major changes this offseason so they could plan the offense around the running game, even with Josh Jacobs leaving for the Green Bay Packers in free agency.
The Raiders could explore trade options with the Chicago Bears
The Raiders could explore outside emergency options before the start of the season on Sept. 8. One quarterback’s stock has been rising this preseason. Bears undrafted quarterback Tyson Bagent earned starting time last season when Justin Fields missed four games due to an injury.
Bagent’s name has recently been dropped as a potential trade piece for the Bears. He has ambitions of being a starter in the league. Since the Bears drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the draft, Bagent’s chances of being the starter in Chicago are next to zero.
Ted Nguyen with The Athletic suggested the Raiders should explore a trade with the Bears for Bagent.
Raiders should offer a fourth for Tyson Bagent because why not https://t.co/fMAdXatS1k
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) August 19, 2024
Tyson Bagent lit up the Raiders last season
The Raiders saw up front last year how dangerously Bagent can be. Bagent was the Bears starter in Oct. 22 when Chicago beat the Raiders 30-12 at Soldier Field. Bagent went 21/29 passing for 162 yards and one touchdown in the Bears’ win.
What could the trade cost the Raiders?
Like the Cleveland Browns, who are exploring a potential trade of their second-year quarterback Doritan Thompson-Robinson, the Bears need depth in the trenches. The Raiders might offer the Bears depth on the offensive or defensive line if they don’t want to part with a 2025 draft pick.
