Antonio Pierce already considering QB change after disastrous loss to Panthers

The first few weeks of the NFL season have been nothing if not unpredictable. After beating the Baltimore Ravens behind an impressive late-game performance from Gardner Minshew in Week 2, the Las Vegas Raiders entered their Week 3 showdown against the Carolina Panthers with all the momentum.

Carolina was outscored 70-13 in the first two weeks of the season before benching recent No. 1 pick Bryce Young in favor of 36-year-old, past-prime Andy Dalton. On paper, this was Raiders all the way. You know what that means. The Panthers absolutely blasted Vegas from the jump, led by what is quite literally one of the best QB performances we've seen all season.

Dalton became the first quarterback in the 2024 campaign to achieve 300-plus passing yards and three touchdowns in a single game. The Panthers won 36-22, but the game wasn't really that close. The Raiders were able to make a dent in the second half, when Carolina was already too far out of reach.

So bad was Las Vegas' performance that Antonio Pierce put Gardner Minshew on the bench late in the fourth quarter, subbing in second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell. The result was a prompt touchdown drive. After the game, Pierce referenced upcoming "business decisions" to be made over the next week. When asked more specifically about the quarterback position on Monday, he propped the door wide open for a changing of the guard.

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce will consider starting Aidan O'Connell over Gardner Minshew in Week 4

"I think we’ve got to get with the players and just evaluate everything from yesterday first," Pierce told reporters, which is coach speak for "my starting quarterback is not secure in his current role."

While Pierce did not comment on Minshew's status in forthright fashion, just propping the door open for change is a major development. O'Connell was perceived as neck-and-neck with Minshew in the QB competition for most of training camp. The Raiders went 5-5 with O'Connell under center as a rookie, so there's a precedent for Pierce succeeding with the former fourth-round pick on the field.

Now, it's probably worth deflecting a little bit of blame to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who was responsible for the Chicago Bears' reprehensible offense a season ago. But, even so, it's hard to have complete faith in Minshew, a career backup with a spotty track record at best. He made the Pro Bowl last season with Indianapolis, but Shane Steichen was calling plays, not Luke Getsy. The Raiders aren't short on viable pass-catchers — Davante Adams and Brock Bowers are both Pro Bowl-worthy at their positions — but Minshew lacks the dynamic arm talent to really make an offense sing. He's more of an over-confident game manager in need of a steady guiding hand, which Getsy is not.

O'Connell is not without his own flaws and it's fair to wonder if either Raiders quarterback will factor into the team's plans beyond this season. Quinn Ewers, Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders, and the 2025 NFL Draft class look awfully appealing to Raiders fans these days. That said, in the short term, Las Vegas appears on the verge of change. If Minshew does somehow survive his mediocre Week 3, he's probably one more dud away from riding the bench while O'Connell attempts to dig Las Vegas out of a hole.