Raiders make QB decision after embarrassing loss to Panthers
The Raiders are sticking with Gardner Minshew for the meantime.
Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce didn’t dismiss the possibility of switching quarterbacks from Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell following O’Connell’s late-game touchdown drive during the Raiders’ blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.
One outcome of the Raiders’ surprising 36-22 home defeat to the Panthers on Sunday was speculation about the team’s starting quarterback for the future. However, it seems they quickly reached a decision on the matter.
The Las Vegas Raiders sticking with Gardner Minshew
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders have decided that they’re “sticking with” Gardner Minshew as their starting quarterback, opting not to make the switch to Aidan O’Connell.
The report follows head coach Antonio Pierce’s lack of clarity on the quarterback situation.
“We’ve got to get with the players and just evaluate everything first,” Pierce stated Monday during his weekly media conference, which started over an hour late due to additional meetings with his coaching staff after the Raiders’ 36-22 home-opening loss that left them with a 1-2 record.
The Panthers dominated the game, building a 33-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Although Minshew connected with Jakobi Meyers for a touchdown to reduce the deficit, Pierce opted to have O’Connell finish the game at quarterback. He explained to reporters that he made the change to “give us a spark” at that moment.
Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, while O’Connell went 9 of 12 for 82 yards, tossing one touchdown without any interceptions. It’s important to highlight that O’Connell entered the game when the Panthers were already in control, likely facing different defensive schemes.
However, Minshew hasn’t exactly excelled in the first three games of the season. He has thrown three touchdown passes alongside three interceptions and has been sacked 11 times.
Minshew, 28, was selected in the sixth round by the Jaguars in 2019 after playing at Washington State. He signed a four-year rookie contract valued at $2.7 million, earning a base salary of $2,540,000 for the 2021 season.
The Jaguars traded Minshew to the Eagles at the end of the 2021 preseason for a sixth-round pick. He then joined the Colts for the 2023 season before signing a two-year, $25 million contract with the Raiders in March.
