The 2024 regular season hasn’t even started yet but the Las Vegas Raiders‘ front office should already be eyeing quarterbacks in 2025. Either Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew will start this year but neither is a long-term option at the position.

There will be limited free agent options outside of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott next offseason so the Raiders will likely need to look to the draft. Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is one of the top prospects expected to be in the 2025 NFL Draft and ESPN’s Jordan Reid believes Las Vegas could be in play for him.

“The Las Vegas Raiders are the most obvious quarterback-needy team heading into the season, as neither 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell nor journeyman Gardner Minshew seems to be the long-term answer,” Reid wrote in an August 2 column. “With new general manager Tom Telesco and new coach Antonio Pierce entering their first year together, the search for a franchise QB might be their overwhelming No. 1 priority for the 2025 draft. The Raiders reportedly did extensive homework on the 2024 QB class prior to exploring a potential move into the top three. But after being unable to secure their QB of the future then, the team could try again to solidify that spot next offseason.”

Deion Sanders, Colorado’s head coach and Shedeur’s father, already stated that he’d be happy with the idea of his son playing for the Raiders.

Las Vegas Raiders Among ‘Most Logical Destinations’

The Raiders could be a very appealing destination for any available quarterback next year. Reid believes the New York Giants are the only other team that might be as good of a fit for Sanders.

“The Raiders and Giants seem to be the most logical destinations for Sanders if he proves to be a first-round talent,” Reid wrote. “Las Vegas is particularly intriguing as a team that has playmakers on offense — Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers at receiver and newly drafted tight end Brock Bowers — but major questions at QB.”

The only knock on the Raiders is that they have a defensive-minded head coach. Typically it’s better for young quarterbacks to go to offensive-minded head coaches. However, Sanders would have plenty of talent to work with as Reid noted. The Raiders defense is also ascending so adding a talented young quarterback like Sanders to the mix could set the team up well for years to come.

Las Vegas Raiders May Need to Go All-in on QB

Finding a star quarterback is not easy. There are more good quarterbacks than ever in the NFL but there are few who are truly elite. The Raiders decided against going too hard after any of the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft class but the team can’t wait forever.

There’s likely too much talent on the roster for the Raiders to get a top-five draft pick, which makes it difficult to land a top quarterback. General manager Tom Telesco may need to start thinking about how to trade up in the draft. That may be the only way he can find a true franchise quarterback.

Whether or not Sanders would be worth trading up will largely depend on how he plays during this college football season.