Raiders Seem Poised to Move on From QB

The Las Vegas Raiders seem likely to move on from quarterback Gardner Minshew during the NFL offseason.

Nov 3, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) warms up on the sidelines during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Last offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders brought in Gardner Minshew to provide some competition for Aidan O'Connell in training camp. He ended up winning the starting quarterback job.

It didn't exactly go too well for Minshew, who threw for 2,013 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 10 appearances and nine starts before going down for the season with a broken collarbone.

Minshew was also briefly benched in favor of O'Connell before O'Connell himself got hurt.

To be fair to Minshew, he was thrown into a very difficult situation. The Raiders began the year with Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers as their lead receivers, but traded Adams in October.

That left Minshew with Meyers, tight end Brock Bowers and not a whole lot else in the offense, so it shouldn't be too surprising that Minshew struggled.

The 28-year-old is a great locker room guy and a fine backup, but when you ask him to start every week, you see his warts. Especially when you provide him with rather limited weaponry.

That's why Minshew's stay in Las Vegas could be brief.

The signal-caller has one year remaining on his contract, but the Raiders could cut him or trade him to save some money against the cap.

Las Vegas is almost certainly going to add a quarterback somewhere this offseason, whether that be via free agency, trade or the NFL Draft. With O'Connell also on the roster, Minshew may be the odd man out.

There would certainly be teams interested in Minshew, as, again, he is a terrific backup who offers some very nice insurance. He just isn't a full-time player.

It would be somewhat surprising if the Raiders opted to hold on to Minshew, and if they do, it could mean that they were unable to find any answers under center, which would be disastrous.

Yes, Las Vegas already has ample cap room heading into the offseason, but it's always smart to open up more money when you can. That's especially when a player becomes redundant.

We'll see if the Raiders are able to find a trade partner for Minshew, or if another club waits for Las Vegas to merely release him.

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