Taking a Look at the Raiders' Quarterback Competition

Second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell and veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew will compete to be the team's starter this season. An NFL expert dives into the competition.

Dec 31, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (4) passes the ball during a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Hali Tauxe-USA TODAY Sports / Hali Tauxe-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the process of figuring out who the starting quarterback will be this upcoming season.

Second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell finished the season 5-4 after being named the team’s starting quarterback halfway through the season. While the quarterback’s rookie season went well overall, he did not play well enough to solidify himself as the team’s starter heading into this season.

General Manager Tom Telesco added former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew II to the roster to compete with O’Connell this offseason. With training camp right around the corner,

NFL.com staff writer Adam Rank recently shared his thoughts on the outlook on the Raiders’ quarterback situation heading into this season.

“[The Raiders are] better than Davante Adams felt it was with Jimmy Garoppolo as QB1, am I right?" Rank said. "Listen, Gardner Minshew is a solid NFL quarterback. His 15-22 career record isn't great, but he nearly got the Colts into last season's playoffs as the injury replacement for Anthony Richardson. Earning the first Pro Bowl nod of his career, Minshew recorded career highs in wins (seven) and passing yards (3,305).

“Now, the swashbuckling signal-caller does have an underwhelming 59:24 TD-to-INT ratio over five pro seasons. On the other hand, he posted a 7:2 ratio against 2023 playoff teams. Gardner kind of reminds me of Raiders quarterbacks of yore -- guys like Jim Plunkett and Rich Gannon who bounced around the league before finding their footing with the Raiders.”

While O’Connell performed admirably down the stretch, Rank, like many others, seems to underestimate the second-year quarterback’s abilities. He enters this season with significantly more resources than he had during his rookie season. He also enters the season with more time to prepare as presumably the team’s starting quarterback.

Still, Rank believes Minshew will beat out O’Connell for the starting quarterback position in training camp. Time will tell if Rank’s prediction is correct.

“The other option under center is Aidan O'Connell," he said. "A fourth-round pick one year ago, the Purdue product was thrust into the starting lineup as a rookie and showed some promise, going 5-4 with a 12:7 TD-to-INT ratio. That said, I expect Minshew to win this competition.”

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