With Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew out for the season with a broken collar bone, the focus turns to the status of Aidan O'Connell's hand injury, as he would be in line to start if he gets healthy. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said they will “have to rely on doctors and medical staff,” according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

It seems that if Aidan O'Connell is able to ramp up well and can grip the football properly, he will start for the Raiders in their next game against the Kansas City Chiefs. If he is unable to play, it will likely be Desmond Ridder, who came into the game against the Denver Broncos after Minshew suffered his injury. Desmond Ridder struggled mightily with the Atlanta Falcons previously as a starter in the NFL.

It has been tough sledding for the Raiders at quarterback this season, which is not particularly surprising after they were not in range to select one in the 2024 NFL Draft. If the season keeps going as it currently is, they likely will be in range to select one this upcoming draft.

What is the future of the Raiders' QB position?

Related Las Vegas Raiders NewsArticle continues below
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll at a news conference introducing Ashton Jeanty as the first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Raiders’ Pete Carroll makes major admission on why he left Seahawks
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll with QB Geno Smith. They are next to a calendar emoji (📅) that is surrounded by question marks. There is also a logo for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Full Las Vegas Raiders game-by-game predictions after 2025 NFL schedule release
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage reveals first look images at John Madden biopic

Due to the Raiders' troubles at quarterback, many have speculated that the team could bring in Daniel Jones, who was recently released by the New York Giants. He would have a chance to start with Las Vegas, but that does not necessarily align with Jones' reported interests. Those interests are joining a contending team, even as a backup, to try to reinvent himself a bit. It will be interesting to see if the Raiders make a push for Jones, as they could use him down the stretch. Even if the Raiders do not sign Jones for the rest of the season, maybe he could make sense as a bridge quarterback in the offseason.

For the long-term future, the Raiders very much could be in play to draft a quarterback in the first round in 2025. They currently hold the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft, according to Tankathon. They trail the Jacksonville Jaguars and Giants in the order, both teams who also hold two wins on the season. The Jaguars and Giants are in front of the Raiders in the order due to strength of schedule. However, the Jaguars are not a quarterback-needy team, as they just committed to Trevor Lawrence this past offseason. The Giants are an obvious quarterback-needy team.

If the current order holds true, the Raiders likely would be in line to select one of the top two quarterbacks. General consensus indicates that Shedeur Sanders of Colorado and Cam Ward of Miami would be the top two prospects this year. It will be interesting to see if the Raiders are able to land either of those two.