Raiders QB Gardner Minshew Will Prove to be Well Worth the Contract He Received

The Las Vegas Raiders handed quarterback Gardner Minshew a sizeable contract earlier this offseason. Will he be worth the money?

Las Vegas Raiders QB Gardner Minshew from OTAs / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

The Las Vegas Raiders hit the road late last season to face Gardner Minshew II and the Indianapolis Colts.

While slim, the Raiders still had a shot at making the playoffs after a season where nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The Raiders and the Colts were in the playoff hunt, but the Raiders were coming off a resounding win over Patrick Mahomes and the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. It was only the second time the Raiders had beaten Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium in the last ten years. 

The victory over the Chiefs should have given the Raiders the confidence to beat the Colts the next week and potentially back into the playoffs with a Wild Card berth. However, that would not happen as the Raiders would fall to the Minshew and the Colts the next week, ending their playoff hopes. The game against the Colts would do more than end the Raiders’ playoff hopes. It gave the Raiders an up-close look at Minshew and what he could do when called upon to start.

Minshew started last season as the Colts’ backup quarterback. The Colts starting quarterback was rookie Anthony Richardson. Now with the Raiders, Minshew enters training camp as the backup quarterback to second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell.

While Minshew and O’Connell will compete for the starting position, O’Connell has a slight edge over the veteran. This would leave Minshew in a similar situation as the one he was in while with the Colts, a situation he proved well equipped for.

After Richardson was injured early in the season, Minshew led the Colts to a 7-6 record and a near playoff appearance. He passed for a career-high 3,305 yards and added 15 touchdowns. His productive season and victory over the Raiders undoubtedly caught the Raiders' attention when looking for a veteran quarterback to add to the roster this offseason to push O’Connell for the starting position. It would have been difficult for the Raiders to find a more suitable quarterback to either back up O’Connell or start when the team needed to.

General Manager Tom Telesco signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million deal earlier this offseason, giving the Raiders a legitimate second option at the quarterback position as they prepare for the upcoming season. While some do not believe Minshew will live up to the contract, a few things must be kept in mind. 

Only $15 million of the deal is fully guaranteed. Besides All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, the Raiders are not paying their most critical offensive starters much money. O’Connell is still on his rookie deal, and the Raiders have three running backs on the roster for less than half of what they paid running back Josh Jacobs last season. More importantly, the salary cap increased by $30 million this offseason, giving the Raiders more money to spend. That is in addition to the fact that the salary cap will likely rise again after this season.

Also, Minshew could either beat out O’Connell for the starting position or start games for the Raiders should O’Connell get injured or not play well.  Considering the Raiders only missed the playoffs by one or two games last season, if Minshew can add one or two wins per season while he is with the Raiders, he will be well worth the investment.

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