The Las Vegas Raiders are going to be aggressive finding an upgrade at quarterback this offseason. It will start with ultimately releasing Jimmy Garoppolo after his failed one-year experiment.
That’s when the hard work starts for new general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Antonio Pierce. Vegas has to figure out whether it wants to use a first-round pick on a potential franchise quarterback or go the veteran route.
Things are complicated by the fact that the Raiders are currently slated to select 13th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Barring a trade up, the likes of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels won’t be available for Telesco and Co.
The question will also innevitably turn to options for Vegas in either NFL free agency or on the trade block. We can now pretty much cross one name off the list of potential targets.
Related: 5 ideal Jimmy Garoppolo landing spots after expected release from Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders highly unlikely to be involved in Justin Fields trade talks
Vic Tafur of The Athletic indicates that it’s “very unlikely” that the Raiders target Fields in conversations with his current Chicago Bears team.
Despite Fields being put on the block, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to those who follow the Raiders that they are not going to be interested.
Pierce hired former Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy in the same role earlier this offseason. He struggled getting the most out of Fields over the past two seasons. While the veteran coach has had nothing but great things to say about his former quarterback, there is not a fit here.
As Tafur notes, Vegas hired Getsy in large part due to how he helped then-Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in his time with the team. That included two seasons as Green Bay’s passing-game coordinator. It’s becoming increasingly evident that the Raiders are valuing more of the traditional drop-back quarterback in Getsy’s scheme. Fields doesn’t fit that model.
Related: Updated NFL trade rumors
Las Vegas Raiders do have other veteran quarterback options
To an extent, Vegas has been linked to New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones. Like Fields, he’s going to be traded this offseason.
The idea would be for these Raiders to find competition for young quarterback Aidan O’Connell. It’s something Pierce touched on earlier in the offseason.
Vegas has also been linked to Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson. He’s slated to be released by the Denver Broncos at some point soon after just two seasons.
Free-agent quarterbacks include Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings), Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and Gardner Minshew (Indianapolis Colts).
One of these veterans mentioned above is more than likely to be brought on by the Raiders. Just don’t expect them to target Fields moving forward.