Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce.
There’s a lot of good coming from Las Vegas Raiders training camp. The defense is playing lights out, head coach Antonio Pierce has the coaching staff feeling excited and first-round pick tight end Brock Bowers is even better than expected.
However, there’s one massive issue facing the team this season: Quarterback. The Raiders decided against taking a big swing at the position in free agency or the draft and decided to role with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. The problem is that neither of them are playing particularly well.
In fact, the two seem to be getting worse. August 6’s practice was particularly bad for the quarterbacks as both of them threw interceptions to cornerback Jack Jones, per an X post from 8 News Now’s Logan Reever.
Jack Jones now has 2 INTs today.
First on AOC short throw he jumped in 2-on-2 work.
Then on 11-on-11 with Minshew overthrow over middle of the field. Impressive leap and ball skills. #Raiders
— Logan Reever (@loganreever) August 6, 2024
Safety Tre’von Moehrig had three interceptions on the day and at least one of them was from O’Connell, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed.
Tre'von Moehrig just picked off O'Connell during 11-on-11 drills. These #Raiders QBs are rough.
— Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) August 6, 2024
This wouldn’t be too concerning if it was just an off day but the Raiders quarterbacks have been struggling all of training camp. NFL insider Gregg Rosenthal was at the August 6 practice and he wasn’t impressed with what he was seeing from the quarterbacks.
The Raiders QB struggles continued Tuesday. O’Connell was especially hesitant and not seeing the field well at all.
— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) August 6, 2024
Now, this could simply be a testament to the defense. The Raiders finished ninth in points allowed last season and added star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins in free agency. The team has to hope that the rough quarterback play is more due to the defense playing well but preseason action should answer that question.
What Do Las Vegas Raiders Do if QBs Don’t Improve?
The lackluster quarterback play should be massively concerning for the Raiders. It’s the most important position in the NFL and the AFC specifically if loaded with excellent quarterback talent.
Nobody expected Minshew or O’Connell to look like superstars but they should at least be taking care of the ball. If the two can’t improve, the Raiders have limited options. Ryan Tannehill is the most notable name available but he’s coming off a season where he threw four touchdowns to seven interceptions. It’s hard to imagine he’d be an upgrade.
The Raiders can hope that an upgrade at quarterback hits the trade market but that’s unlikely this time of year. The team really needs to hope that either Minshew or O’Connell starts to step up or they’re in serious trouble on offense.
Gardner Minshew Eager to Play in Preseason
It’s looking more and more like the preseason will decide who the Week 1 starting quarterback will be for the Raiders. Minshew has played a lot of preseason football in his career and he’s excited for the chance to play again.
“I love playing preseason football,” Minshew said during his August 6 press conference. “Any chance to get out and play is awesome. It’s all a process to get better, whether you’re in a competition or not.
“I believe I can play in this league. If I get better, I can play really well in this league. If I continue to get better, I’ll give myself the best opportunity. That’s all I can control.”
At this point, the Raiders just need one of the quarterbacks to start separating himself. If that doesn’t happen in the preseason, then it’s anybody’s guess what the team might do.
