Coach Antonio Pierce led the Las Vegas Raiders to a 4-13 record in 2024. That meant the Raiders had one of the worst records in the NFL, earning them the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Yet, there’s a reason why coach Pierce won’t be returning to the Raiders next season.
One player who may be joining Pierce in being let go by the Raiders this offseason is a former Pro Bowl player.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ results from the 2024 season weren’t good enough. That’s why they’ve fired Antonio Pierce and hired a replacement head coach in Pete Carroll.
One of the biggest reasons why the Raiders failed so much was that they did not have a better plan at the quarterback position, where Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell, and Desmond Ridder all made starts.
However, the Raiders are expected to make changes at QB this offseason, and Minshew could be the first one to go.
According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Minshew’s unlikely to be in the Raiders’ plans for the 2025 season, and he’s a likely cut candidate this offseason.
“Minshew was terrible in 10 appearances last season and won’t be in the Raiders’ plans at quarterback. If they cut him straight up, they’ll free just $3 million in cap space while taking a dead money hit of $10.82 million, according to Spotrac. If they cut him with a post-June 1 designation, however, they’ll free up $6 million in cap space. The dead money hit would be spread across the next two seasons, with $7.82 million coming in 2025 and $3 million hitting the books in 2026.”
There’s no reason to keep Minshew on the roster for another season. While it’s possible coach Carroll can get a bit better production out of the former Pro Bowl QB, the Raiders need to find a long-term solution with a higher ceiling.
