Raiders QBs O'Connell and Minshew Formed Quick Bond

Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew are excited to work together and compete.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew II (10) takes the field Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023, during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Hali Tauxe/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Las Vegas Raiders will have a quarterback competition going into the 2024 NFL season. 

The battle is between incumbent starter Aidan O’Connell, who enters his second season with the team, and Gardner Minshew II, who the team signed during free agency just months ago. 

O’Connell was the starter for the final nine games of the season after Antonio Pierce was promoted to head coach. Minshew has made a few stops in his career, the Raiders being his fourth different team. 

The two may not necessarily view it as a ‘competition,’ per se. O’Connell recently joined defensive end Maxx Crosby’s podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby, and said his relationship with Minshew is off to a great start. 

“Right after he signed, he texted me and just said, ‘I’m excited to work with you,’” he said. “He’s been awesome since he’s got in. I was super lucky last year with Jimmy [Garoppolo] and Brian [Hoyer] to have great guys who supported me, and it wasn’t hostile at all. They actually did a great job of helping me both with football and keeping my mind off of football sometimes when I probably was focused on football a little too much.”

O’Connell is fortunate to have another veteran in the quarterback room, as Minshew has joined the Silver and Black.

“They did a great job last year, and Gard has been all the same. It’s been super fun to get to know him. Obviously, you get to hear how he thinks about things as he’s learning this offense as well, and so he’s been awesome. You see what you get with him. ‘Gard Dog,’ he’s honest and open, and this guy is super chill. Super chill, easy to talk to, down to earth, has other interests and not just football, so he’s an easy guy to get along with.”

Quarterback chemistry is an important element of football. The two can learn from each other and will spend lots of time together on the field, in the film room this offseason, and throughout the season. 

While their relationship may be strong, it is still a competition, and only one can be the starting quarterback. Their training camp battle will be an interesting storyline to watch throughout the summer.

Click here to watch the full episode with O’Connell on Crosby’s podcast.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.