With the Las Vegas Raiders starting training camp this week, one of the more significant storylines will be the quarterback competition between signal-callers Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce spoke about the battle incoming between the two players and the approach he has for and when he and the rest of the staff ultimately make up the decision.
Some people are led to believe that O'Connell will get the job to begin the season since he was the starter for 10 games last year and knows the offensive system rather than Minshew who was signed last March. Pierce however would say that there is “no need to rush it” according to NBC Sports.
“When it’s right. When it’s obvious,” Pierce said in his Tuesday press conference on the timeline. “Like, OK, this is like a no brainer. No need to rush it, I mean, but when it’s clear and it’s evident, then we need to make that decision and move forward.”
“We got some more practices to go at it to be honest with you,” Pierce continued. “I don’t think it’s fair to do it. I mean, the offseason, there’s no pads on them, the O-line, D-line the way that’s working out with protection, it’s different. When we get the pads on, I think you get a better feel for it overall. And then also guys are just getting into the system right away, in the spring learning it. So, there could be some days where Aidan would be better then Gardner, and some days Gardner. And then some days they both look bad, some days they both look good, to be honest. So, I think, it’ll take its course while we’re here in Southern California.”
Pierce says that both Raiders quarterbacks have “swag”
Last season, O'Connell threw for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in the 11 games he appeared in for Las Vegas as he is still young at 25-years old where he was selected with the 135th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Minshew has been around the league and has seen some success where he last was the quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts and before that was with the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars as Pierce mentioned how both players have “got a little swag now.”
“Both guys got a little swag now,” Pierce said. “That’s kind of cool, right? Aidan didn’t have so much last year, but he’s kind of picked it up. And then with Gardner, just his personality is so unique. So free spirited, but more importantly, a great teammate, he loves to compete, his attitude, his purpose, each and every rep that he takes you can see that there’s a driven player there that’s always been an underdog. And that’s a good thing for the Raiders because that carries over to the rest of our team and guys feed off of it.”
Gardner Minshew could be strong candidate to lead Raiders
Last season, Minshew would throw for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions as he played in all 17 games for the Colts. Coming out as a sixth-round pick out of Washington State in 2019, Minshew has shown he could be a starter for most teams and one of the league's best backups.
The quarterback competition is likely to come down to the wire, maybe even when the Raiders are in preseason where the two will showcase their skills within the offense. Minshew did take a competitive outlook on the battle between himself and O'Connell, but would say that it does not mean “that we're not all going to push” in making the team better according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic.
“It’s going to be a competition, it’s going to be tough, and there is only going to be one guy on the field,” Minshew said Wednesday. “But that doesn’t mean that we’re not all going to push to help this team in every way we can.”
Aidan O'Connell has experience over Minshew with Raiders
O'Connell would take the same approach as Minshew where while there is obvious drive to want to lead the team as the starting quarterback, the No. 1 goal is to help Las Vegas. The Purdue product would ultimately say that “competition is going to bring out the best” in everyone, but they are still going to “hold each other accountable.”
“It’s an interesting role, because we both are obviously competing but we both want to lead while we’re in there,” O’Connell said. “We’re both going to be vocal, we’re both going to try to hold each other accountable and other people accountable. I think competition is going to bring out the best in you and make you work and see how bad you want to compete and do your best.”
At any rate, whoever is the starting quarterback by the start of the Raiders season, they will be looking to improve after an 8-9 record in 2023 which put them second in the AFC West. Now heading into Pierce's first full season as head coach for Las Vegas, they start the upcoming season on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Sept. 8.
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