The Las Vegas Raiders have been atrocious in 2024, as the team is 2-8 and has lost six consecutive games after a 2-2 start. Antonio Pierce's squad suffered a 34-19 road defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Week 11 and will host the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium in Week 12.
Though many factors have contributed to a dysfunctional season in Las Vegas, incompetent quarterback play has doomed the Raiders all year. Gardner Minshew has been the starter for most of the season and is one of the worst signal callers in the NFL, tossing eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. The veteran has struggled to find consistency and has regressed after a solid 2023 campaign with the Indianapolis Colts.
With no clear answer at the sport's most vital position for the Raiders this season, many expect the franchise to select a quarterback in the first round of April's draft. But Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer believes Las Vegas is a potential landing spot for former New York Giants signal-caller Daniel Jones after he clears waivers on Monday.
The Raiders have taken their shots on Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell and did consider giving a shot to Desmond Ridder. With former star Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce as the coach, he might want to take a look at what Jones can potentially do for the team next season as a low-risk audition in the new offense.
Jones was released by the Giants on Friday after he was demoted all the way to QB4 on New York's depth chart. The 2019 No.6 overall pick had an up-and-down tenure with the franchise and has been underwhelming in 2024.
The former Duke standout's decision-making has always been questionable, but Jones' accuracy has also regressed this season. Though he isn't an adequate starting quarterback in the NFL, bringing Jones in on a cheap contract would be a savvy move from general manager Tom Telesco.
Jones has shown potential in his career, primarily in 2022, when he led the Giants to the playoffs and won a road playoff game versus the Minnesota Vikings. The 27-year-old is better than any quarterback currently on the Raiders roster, and with the season all but over in Las Vegas, signing Jones to be the starter for the rest of the year would be a nice, low-risk, high-reward acquisition.
If Jones plays well, he could serve as a mentor and fantastic veteran backup for the team's presumed rookie quarterback in 2025. If the former first-round pick is horrid and Las Vegas doesn't re-sign him in free agency this offseason, the Raiders would be in a position to secure a compensatory draft selection.
For the record, a team that signs Daniel Jones for the rest of 2024 would be in position to secure a compensatory draft pick in 2025 if he were to sign elsewhere for even standard backup QB pay.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) November 22, 2024
Also, FWIW, should the comp. pick qualification end at the trade deadline annually?
Overall, signing Jones for the remainder of the 2024 campaign would bear zero risk and a reward no matter what transpires.
