Raiders QB dystopia sounds even worse than depressing division rival

The Las Vegas Raiders began the offseason with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. In a typical year, a selection that early would be enough to land at least third- or fourth-best available quarterback prospect.

In the 2024 NFL Draft, it wasn’t enough to land anything. There were plenty of quarterback-needy teams picking early, and Las Vegas was stuck at the back of the line. 

USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, and North Carolina’s Drake Maye were taken with the top three overall picks. The Raiders were hoping for one of next tier of quarterbacks — Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and Oregon’s Bo Nix —  to fall to them. Instead, the Atlanta Falcons shockingly selecting Penix with the No. 8 overall pick, which left the Raiders empty-handed.

Las Vegas selected Georgia tight end Brock Bowers in the first round and ultimately walked away from the draft without their next franchise quarterback.

Raiders quarterback situation inspires little hope

It’s hard to imagine that the Raiders planned on entering minicamp with quarterbacks Aiden O’Connell and Gardner Minshew battling for the starting position, but that’s exactly where this team is right now.

The offense was supposed to provide reason for optimism under new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Instead, head coach Antonio Pierce is set up for a turbulent season during his first year in a full-time role.

Both O’Connell and Minshew struggled during the Raiders’ organized team activities, according to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. The quarterbacks split first-string snaps evenly, but neither inspired confidence.

“Both quarterbacks struggled to push the ball downfield, had too many off-target throws and frequently put the ball in harm’s way,” Reed reported. 

The Raiders are going to find it difficult to compete in an AFC West division which features Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Even the Denver Broncos seem to be in a better place, despite taking the largest dead money charge in NFL history for releasing Russell Wilson this offseason.

“I told our guys, ‘Don’t get frustrated, just trust the process,’” Pierce said. “I think you’ll see growth as we go through training camp.”

There were plenty of quarterbacks that switched teams this offseason. From Kirk Cousins to Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Sam Darnold, Mac Jones, and Carson Wentz, among others. At this point, even the return of Jimmy Garoppolo would’ve been a welcomed sight. 

The Raiders managed to pull off a Christmas miracle last season by defeating the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium without scoring an offensive touchdown. Las Vegas finished that game with just 48 passing yards.

While Pierce implementing “Jordan rules” against the Chiefs may sound nice, those type of wins will be the exception rather than the rule. 

If there’s a silver lining for the silver and black, it’s that Minshew has found success as a starter before. The 27-year-old earned his first Pro Bowl nod after posting a 7-6 record with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. He finished the season with 3,305 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.