Gardner Minshew becomes the new starting QB for the Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback situation was up in the air coming into the preseason, but coach Antonio Pierce has made up his mind on a Week 1 starter.
Big news out of Raiders camp following their second preseason game. First year head coach Antonio Pierce as named his starter for Week 1, and he is putting his trust in veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew.
Jimmy G gone in LV
It was the headline going into training camp and preseason from Las Vegas. Who would be the starting quarterback after the departure of Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason? Aidan O’Connell was named the starter in Week 9 of last year, and played the rest of the regular season under Antonio Pierce and led the team to a 4-4 record the rest of the way.
The quarterback room has been a bit of a disaster this offseason, as the Raiders failed to bring anyone in during free agency and missed out on the deep class of rookie QBs this spring. They came into camp with O’Connell, Gardner Minshew, Carter Bradely and Nathan Peterman.
Minshew was brought in after spending last season in Indianapolis, Bradley is an undrafted free agent from South Alabama and Peterman has been in the league since 2017, but only played 15 games and has started five of those games. It’s a QB room full of career back ups and one undrafted rookie, but coach Pierce looks to have his mind made up.
Minshew finished 2023 with winning record
The newly named starter fit in well last year with the Indianapolis Colts and almost led them to the playoffs after rookie QB Anthony Richardson went down in Week 2 with a season ending injury. The Colts finished the season with a winning record, but just missed out of the playoffs after losing to Houston on the final day of the regular season.
Minshew was drafted in the sixth round by Jacksonville and played most of his rookie season as the starter before the Trevor Lawrence era began in Jacksonville. Since then he has spent most of his time on the bench backing up Lawerence, then Jalen Hurts in Philly and last year in Indy serving as the back up turned starter.
In his two games this preseason went 6/12 for 117 yards and a TD against the Vikings and 10/21 for 95 yards against the Cowboys. There are some people questioning if O’Connell might be the better fit considering how he ended the season last year, but coach Pierce has seen enough heading into the final preseason game against San Francisco.