HENDERSON, Nevada – Gardner Minshew will be the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 of the 2024 season, coach Antonio Pierce announced Sunday.
The Raiders signed Minshew in the offseason to compete for the job with Aidan O’Connell, who started 10 games as a rookie last year. Pierce said early last week that the Raiders would make a decision after their preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, and after meeting with general manager Tom Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, he called Minshew the winner of the position battle.
“There was a lot that went into it. It wasn’t based on last night,” Pierce said Sunday. “We believe Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and we’re going with him. We support him. Our team is behind him. Our staff is behind him. Our organization is behind him.”
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Minshew started against the Cowboys and didn’t fare well. He played five drives and completed just 10 of 21 passes for 95 yards. O’Connell looked better than Minshew in four drives. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, but his final pass of the game was a pick six.
O’Connell said of the interception that he “stared it down.” “That sucks. That’s going to resonate for a long time.”
Pierce said Minshew has the edge in terms of experience, properly running the offense and his ability to process information. However, he will need to make significant progress to keep his job. He has struggled to find consistency in OTAs and it showed on Saturday against the Cowboys. Far too many of his throws were either poorly timed or completely missed, causing the offense to miss several opportunities to extend drives or score points. If that continues throughout the season, O’Connell could get a chance to reclaim his starting spot.
“There are a lot of things we can get better at,” Pierce said. “I don’t think anything is done here. But considering where we want to be in the first quarter of the season, we think Gardner gives us the best chance.”
Pierce said O’Connell handled the news of losing the quarterback competition well. He also left open the possibility that both quarterbacks could play at some point in the fall.
“These two gentlemen are professionals,” Pierce said. “The way they handled this competition resonated throughout our building, especially our staff and our team. They cheered each other on. They were good teammates. They brought the best out of each other in practice and in games. They both took it like a champion.”
“I told them both to be ready,” Pierce continued. “In the National Football League, you never know. But Aidan is a younger player with tremendous potential. I think he’ll still be a starter at some point in this league, whether it’s this year or next year. He’ll play in games. Gardner has done a good job of being that older presence. … He’s been through some adversity, so that’s been good for Aidan.”
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Ultimately, the Raiders believe Minshew offers them the best chance to be successful early in the season.
“His personality is infectious, his energy is infectious and his leadership is infectious,” Pierce said. “Footwork in the pocket. He sticks to the script. There’s something magical about him when he breaks out of the pocket and does his thing, but there are a lot of situations where the first or second look is there and we have to let it go. He understands that. And more importantly, (he has to focus on) taking care of the football.”
Raiders safety Marcus Epps, who played two seasons with Minshew on the Philadelphia Eagles, shared that sentiment.
“He’s just a player,” Epps said. “(He’s) a very smart player who tries hard and works really hard, and he’s going to give it everything he’s got every game. Definitely a guy you want to have on your side.”
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(Photo: Chris Unger / Getty Images)
