Former Raiders QB on Team's Current QB Battle, State of the Offense

Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Brian Hoyer shared his thoughts on the direction of the Raiders' offense.

Jul 26, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Brian Hoyer (7) during training camp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Longtime NFL quarterback Brian Hoyer didn't see much action in his lone season with the Las Vegas Raiders, but he knows as well as anyone what this team's potential is.

Hoyer, who was released by the Raiders this offseason, shared his thoughts on second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell and his position battle, as well as some of the other key assets on the team's offense when he served as a co-host on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday.

"I mean, being there firsthand and watching Aidan grow -- I remember him saying at the end of the year, 'I never thought this is how this year would play out.' Obviously, Jimmy Garoppolo was the opening-day starter, and then, by the end of the year, Aidan was playing. And at the beginning of the year, he was third on the depth chart and then, he ended up finishing the entire year. And I thought, to see his growth and what he was able to do as a fourth-round pick, was tremendous.

"So, maybe I'm a little bit biased, but I was actually kind of shocked that they didn't even look at possibly retaining [former Raiders interim offensive coordinator] Bo Hardegree because when Bo took over as offensive coordinator in the middle of the year, it took a while, but things really started to pick up. Obviously, we had the big game against the Chargers and then finished the year on a strong note.

"And there's some great skill players there. I love the addition of Brock Bowers at tight end. You pair him with Michael Mayer, who was a rookie last year who was really coming into his own at the end of the year. They added Tre Tucker last year, who was a great rookie, and you those guys with, obviously, Davante Adams, who is one of the top receivers. And then Jakobi Meyers, a guy that I've been with his entire career, seeing him grow into the player that he is, and I think he really benefited being around Davante last year. Davante drew a lot of coverage, and Jakobi became a primary target, and he got to see what a top receiver looks like day in and day out and really raise his level.

"So, maybe I'm biased, but I think what Aidan did last year -- I know he hasn't shown it as much as Gardner Minshew has throughout his career -- but I know the guys really gravitated to the way Aidan took over and his leadership as a young player."

Hoyer played in just three games for the Silver and Black last season, making just one start.

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