The Oakland Raiders have snapped up their second quarterback in the space of a week. After signing veteran quarterback Josh Johnson, they’ve now re-signed EJ Manuel to a deal which they announced on Thursday.

Manuel spent last season with the Raiders after playing his first four years in the league with the Buffalo Bills. He appeared in two games last year and started once when Derek Carr went down with an injury. He completed 13 of 26 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown in his lone start against the Baltimore Ravens, which the Raiders lost 30-17.

Manuel will likely retain his spot as Carr’s primary backup in what is now a crowded quarterback depth chart in Oakland. Aside from him, Johnson and incoming third-year pro Connor Cook are biding their time behind Carr on the bench.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Cody Whitehair in a Raiders uniform

Ben Strauss ·

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams

Sonny Giuliano ·

Jimmy Garoppolo surrounded by piles of cash.

Nihad Zunic ·

However, it goes without saying that the Raiders will still be in big trouble if Carr goes down for a significant amount of time. Manuel is clearly not capable of coming in and leading teams to victory, as his 6-12 career record as a starter proves. Johnson and Cook also don’t figure to be capable starters in the league.

It’s possible for a team to survive and be successful even with backup quarterback with the help of a top defense, as the Minnesota Vikings showed last season. But the Raiders have had problems on defense for the last few seasons now. That would leave them in big trouble if they continue to have such problems while someone other than Carr is starting.