Davante Adams loves Raiders quarterbacks fighting over him in practice

Few NFL teams are shrouded in more intrigue than the Las Vegas Raiders as the 2024 campaign approaches. New head coach Antonio Pierce has lofty expectations attached to his name. There is real optimism about Las Vegas righting the ship and transforming into a contender.

The AFC West belongs to Kansas City, but Vegas has a path to the Wild Card. It starts, of course, with the QB position. The Raiders inked reigning Pro Bowl participant Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract in free agency. After a successful season in place of the injured Anthony Richardson for the Indianapolis Colts, Minshew was a coveted free agent, viewed by many as a potential bridge quarterback for a team with youth at the position.

Early expectations were that Minshew would start the season under center while second-year QB Aidan O'Connell received a crash course on the sidelines. Right now, however, it appears more like a legitimate position battle is unfolding ahead of training camp. O'Connell may even have the edge, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"O'Connell and Minshew in the spring went tit for tat; went after it. O'Connell probably has the slight edge right now based on coming into Year 2, being more vocal. I'm told he's acting like a starting quarterback and Davante Adams loves him, which always helps certainly with the brownie points."

O'Connell has the Davante Adams endorsement. In the end, that could be all that matters.

Aidan O'Connell has Davante Adams in his corner for Raiders QB battle

Las Vegas is wise to consider O'Connell as a real option. Minshew is a talented backup, but he's exactly that — a backup. Last season was a resounding individual success in Indianapolis, but Minshew benefited immensely from the play-calling brilliance of Shane Steichen. Not to be that guy, but it's fair to put a small asterisk next to that Pro Bowl. It's not indicative of Minshew's value.

That is not to say Minshew can't (or won't) start. The vet has impressed Las Vegas with how quickly he picked up the offense, per Fowler. He's going off-script in practice and changing plays at the line of scrimmage, a telltale sign of NFL experience and football IQ. That is Minshew's pitch to the coaching staff. He has been around the block a few times and he knows what it takes to compete in the pros. More than O'Connell does, at the very least.

Still, O'Connell flashed real arm talent as a rookie. The Raiders opted against selecting a quarterback in the NFL Draft, almost by default after six signal-callers flew off the board before Vegas in the No. 13 spot. O'Connell is the future until further notice, and for all of Vegas' competitive aspirations, it's hard to call the Raiders a serious Super Bowl contender. As such, developing their young franchise cornerstone is more useful than asking Minshew to keep their head above water for a season.

We cannot overstate the Davante Adams factor either. When arguably the most talented wide receiver in football endorses a quarterback, coaches tend to listen. Adams is the centerpiece of Las Vegas' playmaking corps and his built-in chemistry with O'Connell is a compelling enough reason to eschew the "more experienced" QB option.

O'Connell appeared in 11 games (10 starts) for Las Vegas last season, completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He could get a chance to build on those numbers in 2024.