The Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback battle remains one of the biggest open questions across the NFL.
As Antonio Pierce begins his first season as the Raiders full-time head coach, Las Vegas will field an open quarterback competition between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, after opting to fill other pressing needs during the NFL Draft and failing to come away with a potential franchise quarterback of the future.
Where do Things Stand in Las Vegas Raiders’ QB Battle?
Now that the offseason program has reached OTAs, and the Raiders are back on the practice field, Pierce and the coaching staff are getting an up-close look at what Minshew can bring to the table and if O’Connell can elevate his game in 2024.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is excited about what he’s seen from O’Connell, so far.
“To get thrown in the way he got thrown into, and to see the adversity — I think it was like a zero that they didn’t score [against Minnesota] and they score all those points [against the Chargers], that’s a really cool reflection of the type of kid that he is and the approach that he brings,” Getsy said in his Tuesday press conference. “There’s one thing I would definitely pat him on the back for at this point, it’s just the willingness to be taught and willingness to be vulnerable in this opportunity to get better.”
After being chosen by the Raiders in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, O’Connell completed 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions across 11 games.
Meanwhile, Minshew guided the Colts to the doorstep of the AFC Playoffs, in his finest season as a professional, completing 62.2 percent of his passes for a career-high 3,305. yards with 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions.
Getsy is optimistic about Las Vegas’ options as September and the season-opener approaches.
“The good thing is we’ve got a good group in that room,” Getsy told reporters. “Those guys work their butt off and they’re competitive, but they’re great teammates too at the same time. So the beginning part of this thing has been a lot of fun.”
