The Las Vegas Raiders can take Matthew Stafford off their wish list. Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are working toward a restructure to keep him in southern California. Which means teams like the Raiders will have to re-think how they’re going to address the quarterback position.
According to The Athletic, it’s rumored the Raiders aren’t interested in overpaying for a veteran. Yet, with the No. 6 pick in the upcoming draft and more speculation the Cleveland Browns might be leaning more toward drafting Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, the Raiders options are limited.
So let’s look at both some cost-efficient quarterback solutions as well as maybe a player or two the Raiders will have to pony up the funds to bring in if they have any hope of competing in a loaded division.
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3) Sam Darnold
Yes, I know Sam Darnold is going to be on the high end when it comes to fulfilling a quarterback need this offseason, but the Raiders might not have a choice. There’s no surprise people have questions about Darnold.
He struggled in the most important games to end the season for the Minnesota Vikings, despite leading them to a 14-3 regular season record. It’s fair to question that and even question if he’s worth a $30 million per year price tag.
But if the Vikings let Darnold walk into free agency, the Raiders will have no choice other than to consider paying him. Their division consists of Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and a LA Chargers squad that reached the playoffs and Bo Nix, who has helped turn the page on a new era in Denver.
If the Raiders don’t make a big splash move at quarterback, it will hurt them for the foreseeable future as they look to compete in what could be one of the toughest divisions in the NFL.
Again, Darnold may not be the best option, but what other options are there? It’s looking less likely that any of the teams inside the top 5 of the draft will trade back so the only other option would be to take another gamble.
2) Russell Wilson
Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson could be on a collision course of reuniting in Las Vegas if the Raiders’ hands are tied with their quarterback options. Wilson wasn’t great in Pittsburgh, but he did enough to earn at least one more contract year.
The nature of it is the Raiders could essentially get Wilson on a decent deal that wouldn’t break the bank and solve an immediate need. The problem with going after Wilson is you run into the same problem as you do with Darnold.
Wilson looked horrendous to end the 2024 season, including losing the last five games of the year – playoffs included – while not scoring more than 17 points during that stretch. That’s arguably a bigger red flag than Darnold.
It’s not the best option, but when it comes to addressing the quarterback position, the Raiders have slim pickings. Then again, if they’re content on getting a bridge quarterback until they can find their long term future option, then Wilson isn’t a horrible signing.
1) Kirk Cousins
The Browns have all but staked their claim on Kirk Cousins. But the Raiders could swoop in if they feel they like he can regain his form. Cousins had a 2024 to forget and Atlanta was so fed up that one year is all they needed.
Cousins was benched after a five-game stretch where he threw nine interceptions and one touchdown. The Atlanta Falcons turned to rookie Michael Penix Jr. to save the season. The effort came up short, but confirmed Cousins will probably get released.
The Raiders are leaning toward the Pittsburgh Steelers route where they’ll have a revolving door of veterans come through until they find their one. That could start with Cousins for the Raiders.
The good thing with getting Cousins is he doesn’t have the pressure like he did in Atlanta. If he repeatedly throws the ball to the other team again, so be it. It’s not like the Raiders were expected to be competitive right now.
If he manages to give the Raiders a winning season, well, it was money well spent. Again a much more financially efficient solution than maybe Wilson or Darnold.