The Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback in Week 1 will be Gardner Minshew, a decision made by head coach Antonio Pierce following a lengthy position battle. While neither quarterback played particularly well, there’s something that reportedly separated the two signal-callers.
Neither Minshew nor Aidan O’Connell had a clear edge in the Raiders quarterback competition this season. O’Connell came with experience in working with the Raiders coaching staff, but this is offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s first year in Las Vegas. So, O’Connell faced a learning curve with the new offense as well.
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- Gardner Minshew stats (Pro Football Reference): 84.6 QB rating, 15-9 TD-INT, 62.2% completion ratio, 3,305 passing yards, 6.7 yards per attempt in 17 games
Minshew had a different advantage over O’Connell. Because O’Connell is entering just the second year of his rookie contract, he makes just a $915,000 salary this season with only a $1.042 million cap hit. Minshew, who the Raiders signed this offseason is receiving a $5.84 million base salary with an $8 million cap hit.
While money can play a significant role in dictating who wins a position battle, Las Vegas provided O’Connell with an equal opportunity to win the starting job. Both quarterbacks struggled in the preseason and Raiders training camp, with small factors determining Pierce’s decision.
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- Gardner Minshew preseason stats: 16-of-33, 212 passing yards, 1-0 TD-INT, 6.42 yards per attempt, 48.5 percent completion rate
- Aidan O’Connell preseason stats: 21-of-29, 172 passing yards, 1-1 TD-INT, 5.93 yards per attempt, 72 percent completion rate
According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated the Raiders’ ceiling is a little lower with Minshew than with O’Connell he’s been told the Raiders coaching staff picked Minshew because of his safer floor and consistency.
“The reasoning I heard for the decision in the immediate aftermath? Consistency, experience and his ability to operate Luke Getsy’s offense. In other words, it’s all the things that bore fans, but will give the other 10 guys in the huddle the best chance to compete right now.”
Albert Breer on why Gardner Minshew was named the Las Vegas Raiders starting QB
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Las Vegas likely knows that both quarterbacks will be making starts in 2024, as Minshew does have a tendency to give up the football at times. Watching from the sideline could also give O’Connell time to get a better handle on Getsy’s offense, opening the door for him to become the Raiders starting quarterback down the line.
No matter who is the Raiders starting quarterback in 2024, the team certainly realizes this is the position that will likely hold them back. The hope is that Minshew can just be consistent while the Raiders defense carries this team to wins.
