Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce made it clear that his team doesn’t care about 2025 draft implications after a 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“We don’t do this to lose,” Pierce said to reporters. “We don’t do this for anybody’s fantasy football team, we don’t do this for anybody’s draft projections. None of that sh*t matters to us. Only thing that matters is winning and that’s what we want to do.”
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Pierce’s comments shouldn’t surprise anyone. He and some of the players on the Raiders roster may not be around to work with and play alongside whomever the team acquires from the draft next year.
Recently, Pierce acknowledged that his future with the team is uncertain, and he’s essentially coaching to keep his job. So, of course, Pierce is trying to win games, especially after owner Mark Davis said he wants to see progress in the last few weeks of the season.
But in the big picture, the Raiders are falling out of range for a top quarterback prospect. Just a week ago, Raider fans could see Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward wearing their team’s Silver and Black uniform. Now, that seems like a pipe dream.
With the win over the Jaguars, the Raiders fell from the No. 1 spot to sixth in the 2025 draft order. Las Vegas has another winnable game coming up against the New Orleans Saints, who were shut out in a 34-0 loss to the Green Bay Packers last Monday. The Raiders could win back-to-back games and fall further in the draft order.
In all likelihood, Sanders and Ward will be top-five picks. If the Raiders don’t have a top-three selection, what can they do to address the quarterback position in the offseason?
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Trading Up for Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward
Though the Raiders’ probability of drafting Sanders or Ward dropped significantly, they don’t have to give up on pursuing either quarterback, but it likely would cost them multiple first-round picks.
The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars hold the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively. Both teams have their quarterbacks in place. New England selected Drake Maye with the third pick in last year’s draft, and the Jaguars signed Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million extension this past offseason.
If the Patriots and Jaguars finish with top-three picks, the team that doesn’t draft 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter may be willing to move down and use additional picks to reboot its roster.
The Raiders should remain in contact with the Patriots, Jaguars, or any other team that finishes within the top three in the 2025 draft order and has its starting quarterback in place. But what if the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans (two quarterback-needy teams) are in those top spots?
Considering Jalen Milroe, Carson Beck, and other potential Day 2 quarterbacks
We have no idea how general manager Tom Telesco views the quarterback class. He may or may not have a high early grade on Jalen Milroe, Carson Beck, Dillon Gabriel, Quinn Ewers, or Jaxson Dart.
Even if those prospects aren’t ready to play in Week 1 of the 2025 season, the Raiders may see at least one worth drafting on Day 2 to develop and prepare that player to become the starter.
Going into the draft evaluation cycle, you will hear critiques about each quarterback. Milroe must improve as a pocket passer. Ewers had an inconsistent year and maybe the second-best quarterback on Texas’ current roster. Beck experienced regression in his accuracy and suffered a season-ending elbow injury. At 6’0″, 200 pounds, Gabriel has a smaller stature than the other top quarterback prospects and may struggle to push the ball downfield because of a lack of arm strength. Can Dart make NFL throws in tight windows with anticipation?
Even at the top, the 2025 quarterback class doesn’t have a slam-dunk prospect, and as you study potential Day 2 prospects, you will likely see glaring warts in their skill sets and mechanics. Nonetheless, general managers draft with projection and potential in mind. Are a prospect’s issues correctable, and what’s his ceiling?
With the answers to those questions, the Raiders may be interested in a quarterback on Day 2. Remember, because of the Davante Adams trade, they will probably have two third-round picks, which will allow them to address other positions of need in the early rounds in addition to taking a quarterback.
Someone other than Sanders and Ward could become an early starter from the class.
Surveying the 2025 free-agent market
Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins will likely headline the 2025 free-agent quarterback class. Justin Fields will probably draw interest as well. Darnold and Fields are set to become free agents.
While many Raider fans prefer Darnold among the impending free-agent quarterbacks, keep in mind that the Minnesota Vikings can franchise-tag him. He’s having his best season, leading a 13-2 team to the playoffs while rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy recovers from multiple knee surgeries.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could work out a short-term deal with Wilson, who’s helped lead them to the playoffs in his age-36 campaign. At 25 years old, coming off a year as a backup quarterback, Fields will be a cheap option with a decent number of starts (44) on his resume.
Rodgers’ time in New York may end as the team prepares for an offseason that will involve changes from the front office to the coaching staff. However, at 41, he is unsure about playing football in 2025.
Last week, the Atlanta Falcons benched Kirk Cousins, and they plan to start rookie Michael Penix Jr. “moving forward.” According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Falcons are expected to cut Cousins in the offseason.
Cousins went from a Pro Bowl-caliber player in Minnesota to a turnover-prone signal-caller who struggled to get the ball to his playmakers in Atlanta. Do the Raiders want a 36-year-old reclamation project? Cousins has given off Matt Ryan vibes when he played for the Indianapolis Colts. Yuck.
The Raiders may not be interested in free-agent quarterbacks if Darnold remains in Minnesota or chooses to go elsewhere, but they should make calls to teams willing to trade their starting quarterback.
Could Geno Smith be a trade option?
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith could make sense for the Raiders, assuming Telesco remains the general manager. In 2018, Telesco signed Smith to a one-year deal. He served as Philip Rivers’ backup before going to Seattle.
Smith has had a solid run with the Seahawks, throwing for 72 touchdowns and 36 interceptions with a 68.3 percent completion rate.
Week 17 NFL QB Rankings
However, Smith has struggled recently as the Seahawks’ playoff hopes have faded in the NFC. Also, he’s having his worst season statistically with the team under a new coaching staff. If Seattle misses the postseason and the offense continues to sputter, the Seahawks may be willing to trade Smith for the right price.
Also worthy of note, Smith doesn’t have any guaranteed money on the last year of his contract, so the 34-year-old signal-caller may want out of Seattle if he doesn’t get a favorable deal. Telesco could reunite with Smith in Las Vegas. The two-time Pro Bowl signal-caller would have a good chance to start while the coaching staff develops a quarterback from the 2025 draft.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.