Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce didn’t dismiss the possibility of switching quarterbacks from Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell following O’Connell’s late-game touchdown drive during the Raiders’ blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.
One outcome of the Raiders’ surprising 36-22 home defeat to the Panthers on Sunday was speculation about the team’s starting quarterback for the future. However, it seems they quickly reached a decision on the matter.
The Las Vegas Raiders sticking with Gardner Minshew
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders have decided that they’re “sticking with” Gardner Minshew as their starting quarterback, opting not to make the switch to Aidan O’Connell.
The report follows head coach Antonio Pierce’s lack of clarity on the quarterback situation.
“We’ve got to get with the players and just evaluate everything first,” Pierce stated Monday during his weekly media conference, which started over an hour late due to additional meetings with his coaching staff after the Raiders’ 36-22 home-opening loss that left them with a 1-2 record.
The Panthers dominated the game, building a 33-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Although Minshew connected with Jakobi Meyers for a touchdown to reduce the deficit, Pierce opted to have O’Connell finish the game at quarterback. He explained to reporters that he made the change to “give us a spark” at that moment.
Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, while O’Connell went 9 of 12 for 82 yards, tossing one touchdown without any interceptions. It’s important to highlight that O’Connell entered the game when the Panthers were already in control, likely facing different defensive schemes.
Minshew’s downward trend
However, Minshew hasn’t exactly excelled in the first three games of the season. He has thrown three touchdown passes alongside three interceptions and has been sacked 11 times.
Minshew, 28, was selected in the sixth round by the Jaguars in 2019 after playing at Washington State. He signed a four-year rookie contract valued at $2.7 million, earning a base salary of $2,540,000 for the 2021 season.
The Jaguars traded Minshew to the Eagles at the end of the 2021 preseason for a sixth-round pick. He then joined the Colts for the 2023 season before signing a two-year, $25 million contract with the Raiders in March.
This season, Minshew has played in three games for the Raiders, completing 73.7 percent of his passes for 747 yards, along with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Although the Raiders had an impressive win against the Baltimore Ravens, their record stands at 1-2, and they only managed to score 10 points in their opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Aidan O’Connell impressing so far
O’Connell brings recent experience to the table, having gone 5-5 as a starter last season. He threw for 2,218 yards, recorded 12 touchdowns, and tossed seven interceptions. This was a
commendable performance for a rookie who was selected in the fourth round of the draft.
The 25-year old O’Connell, started for three years at Purdue and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in his final two seasons. The Raiders selected him with the No. 135 pick in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year rookie contract worth $3.84 million, which included a signing bonus of $509,380.
Next on the schedule for Las Vegas is a home game against the Cleveland Browns, who recently allowed Daniel Jones—previously struggling—to pass for 236 yards and two touchdowns without any interceptions in a loss to the New York Giants. This matchup gives Minshew an opportunity to solidify his position as the starter against a vulnerable secondary.
