What Could Raiders' Offseason QB Plan Look Like?

The Las Vegas Raiders must address the quarterback position this offseason. How can they do that?

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce during warms up before a game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Quarterback is the most important position in football. 

Teams have won without elite quarterbacks in the past, but more often than not, you need a star signal-caller to be a successful football team. 

The Las Vegas Raiders’ biggest offseason task will be finding their franchise quarterback. They signed journeyman Gardner Minshew II to compete with former fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell this season. 

That has not resulted in many wins so far. 

The Raiders must find a quarterback who can take over an offense and lead the team to victory. All the top teams in the league right now have star quarterbacks who carry them. 

But how will Coach Antonio Pierce, General Manager Tom Telesco, and the Raiders go about finding their next franchise star? 

The most obvious choice would be to select a quarterback at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Raiders have only spent a first-round pick on a QB five times -- the last one coming in 2007 with JaMarcus Russell. 

That name brings up bad memories in Raider Nation, but that should not stop fans from wanting one of the draft’s top gunslingers. 

Several talented quarterbacks could be available early in the draft. Miami’s Cam Ward, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, and Georgia’s Carson Beck are expected to be the top QBs available. 

We have already written about how Ward could fit with the Silver and Black. You can read that breakdown here.

If the Raiders decide to select a quarterback with their first-round pick, they will need to supplement that rookie with plenty of weapons. Tight end Brock Bowers already looks on his way to becoming one of the best players in the league at his position, but a rookie quarterback in Las Vegas will need more. 

If they do not draft a quarterback early, they could opt to bring in a proven option in free agency as a bridge option while they draft a late-round quarterback to develop. 

Many of the expected free-agent quarterbacks do not inspire much confidence, but a player like Jameis Winston or Sam Darnold could keep the Raiders competitive until a younger player is ready. 

Of course, the Raiders could stay the course with O’Connell and Minshew, although that would be the least popular decision among the fanbase. As we have seen this year, it is also likely the option that produces the lowest chance of winning games. 

While the Raiders season is far from over, many fans are already considering how the team will upgrade the quarterback position. When the season ends, the Raiders’ brass will likely focus on this heavily.

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