The Las Vegas Raiders have already made one tremendously splashy move this offseason, signing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a big-money deal earlier today. And now, on the opposite side of the ball, the Raiders are addressing what most analysts around the league have deemed to be one of their primary needs that had to be addressed before the start of the 2024 season… quarterback.

 

Gardner Minshew may not be a household name, nor is he the sort of quarterback Antonio Pierce likely had in mind when he said, “You don’t want to put a Band-Aid at that position,” while at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. But Minshew is reliable, and even if he's more reliable as a back-up than a full-time starter, you know you're getting a steady presence when Minshew is the one who is taking snaps.

Last season, Gardner Minshew entered the year as the #2 quarterback in Indianapolis behind Florida Gators rookie Anthony Richardson. Richardson suffered a broken collarbone early on in the season, thrusting Minshew into action for a Colts team that most around the NFL expected to be among the worst teams in the league. But Indianapolis, with a new head coach and a career back-up, did not get the memo that they were supposed to be a pushover. Steadily, though not spectacularly, Minshew took the wheel and led the Colts to a 7-6 record in the 13 games he started. It was good enough to put the Colts in position to win the AFC South if they could win their regular season finale against the Houston Texans. But in the end, it was a legitimate franchise quarterback (CJ Stroud) who was too much to handle, and Indy missed out on the postseason.

The starting job in Indy was always going to go back to Richardson, so Minshew's departure makes sense. In Las Vegas, he'll have an opportunity to compete against Aidan O'Connell — and who knows, maybe Justin Fields too — for the starting job, and much like the Colts last season, Minshew won't go down without a fight.