After benching Gardner Minshew in two of their past three games, the Raiders are now planning to make the veteran reclaim the job via a competition with backup Aidan O’Connell.
The QBs’ latest battle will take place in practice this week, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur notes. This marks another chapter in a long-running matchup to determine which quarterback is Las Vegas’ better stopgap option, as ties to 2025 draft prospects are undoubtedly coming soon. For now, the Raiders will need to again pick Minshew or O’Connell, the team’s options after six quarterbacks went off this year’s draft board before the team’s No. 13 overall pick.
Antonio Pierce put a temporary halt to speculation he would bench Minshew, but after Patrick Surtain‘s 100-yard pick-six keyed a Broncos blowout that featured a second Minshew interception, the Vegas HC has not provided the sixth-year veteran any assurances the job is still his for the team’s Week 6 matchup against the Steelers. O’Connell, the team’s starter for the second half of last season, may soon have his latest chance.
Although O’Connell also tossed an interception to Surtain in the Raiders’ 34-18 loss, one of Pierce’s first decisions as interim HC was to install him as QB1. The Raiders benched Jimmy Garoppolo shortly after firing Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler last year, and the fourth-round pick started every game during Pierce’s interim period. O’Connell also was believed to have a leg up on Minshew during the passers’ offseason competition, but Pierce cited the veteran as the better option to help the team start strong. Despite a road win over the Ravens, the Raiders have been unable to establish consistent offense with Minshew at the controls.
Minshew ranks 27th in QBR, representing a steep fall from his Colts finish (13th) last season. Minshew commanded a two-year, $25M deal this offseason — a pact that led all non-Kirk Cousins FA passers in this class — but became insurance in the event the Raiders did not draft a passer this year. Minshew has 42 career starts on his resume but may well be headed back to the bench, as it would be interesting if Pierce benched the incumbent twice only to like his most recent practice work and keep the status quo in place.
