The Las Vegas Raiders were among the teams with the biggest need at quarterback this offseason but the only one they were able to add was Gardner Minshew. He’s currently battling Aidan O’Connell for the starting job so he’s not a clear upgrade over what the team had last season.
If the Raiders don’t get a top-10 draft pick in next year’s draft, it could continue to be difficult to upgrade at quarterback. However, they may have one notable option. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has yet to get a contract extension and could be a free agent next offseason.
Bleacher Report went through and offered a 2025 free agent target for every NFL team and they listed Prescott for the Raiders.
“If Prescott gets through this season without an extension, it would only make sense for him to at least see what he could get on the open market,” the B/R NFL Scouting Department wrote in a July 31 column.
“The Raiders would make sense as a landing spot. Considering the supporting cast that includes Davante Adams, Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Michael Mayer with a promising defense, Prescott could be the missing piece.”
Prescott becomes even more appealing to Las Vegas if they’re an eight or nine-win team that is held back by poor quarterback play.
Latest on Dak Prescott’s Contract Situation
Prescott finished second in MVP voting last season and led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes. That sounds like a player who would get whatever contract they want.
However, his playoff record of 2-5 is concerning and it’s fair to question if the Cowboys can get over the hump with him at quarterback. With Dallas having so many other key players they need to be, it could be appealing to reset the clock at quarterback and go after a cheaper and younger player.
Despite the prolonged contract negotiations, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer doesn’t see Prescott leaving the team that drafted him.
“Let’s put that at 10%,” Breer wrote about the chances Prescott leaves Dallas in an August 1 column. “I just think in the end, these things get done. Do the Dallas Cowboys have misgivings about jumping on the quarterback cost escalation train? Clearly. But the market has defined itself. It was interesting for me, in talking to COO Stephen Jones last week, to hear a level of contentment in how deals for Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa and Jared Goff got done.”
What Other QB Options Do Las Vegas Raiders Have?
With so many top quarterbacks getting extensions this offseason, the Raiders will have limited options in free agency if Prescott re-signs with Dallas. There will be a lot of backup-level quarterbacks in free agency next year like Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson.
The Raiders may need to go all out on drafting a quarterback in 2025 if Minshew and O’Connell aren’t great in 2024. Some of the early candidates to be the first quarterbacks off the board are Georgia’s Carson Beck and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. The Raiders should be scouting college quarterbacks very closely this year as there isn’t a clear veteran upgrade who will be available next year.
