Raiders' Gardner Minshew II Ranked No. 2 Backup QB in NFL

Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano ranked Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II the second-best backup in the NFL going into the 2024 season.

Feb 1, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew (10) participates in the NFL Pro Bowl Skills Competition at the UCF NIcholson Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports | Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

There's a lot of competition yet to be had this offseason before the Las Vegas Raiders officially name their starting quarterback for Week 1.

Of course, the battle is down to second-year Raider Aidan O'Connell and veteran Gardner Minshew II, who joined the team in free agency this offseason.

Minshew wasn't the quarterback addition many fans had hoped for, as those members of Raider Nation who wanted more than the young O'Connell were expecting a more top-tier-level quarterback, either in free agency or in the draft.

While Minshew is not that quarterback, he still adds much underrated value to Las Vegas' quarterback room.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has made it clear O'Connell is the starter until that title is stripped of him, which makes him the favorite at this point in time.

In the event Minshew is the backup, the Raiders should be in good hands.

In a recent article, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano ranked the top 32 backup quarterbacks going into the 2024 NFL season. He had Minshew at No. 2.

Here's what Manzano had to say about Minshew:

"Minshew saved the Colts’ season by stepping up after Anthony Richardson sustained a season-ending shoulder injury after four games. It got rough at times, but Minshew gave the Colts a fighting chance in most games. In his 13 starts, Minshew had 3,305 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’ll now compete with Aidan O’Connell for the starting job."

This spot does make sense for Minshew, as the veteran quarterback has been a solid backup throughout his career and has risen to the occasion when he's been called upon to step in to start. He also comes off his first-ever Pro-Bowl season.

The only quarterback Manzano had ahead of Minshew was Cincinnati Bengals backup Jake Browning.

Manzano had three former Raider quarterbacks make the list -- Jimmy Garoppolo, Jarrett Stidham, and Marcus Mariota.

Garoppolo, whom the Raiders released this offseason, was ranked No. 14. Stidham, who started the final two games of the Raiders' 2022 season, was ranked No. 18. Mariota, a former Heisman Trophy winner who spent two seasons in Las Vegas, was ranked No. 28.

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