Antonio Pierce is officially running the show in Las Vegas, after spending time last season as the Raiders' interim head coach following the firing of Josh McDaniels. The team has made a lot of changes over the last year. One change was parting ways with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and adding quarterback Gardner Minshew. The addition of Minshew ignites a quarterback competition between him and Aidan O'Connell, a fourth-round selection in 2023.
Las Vegas has yet to name a starter and the job will come down to training camp performance. O'Connell started 10 games last season, going 5-5. Coming in for an injured Anthony Richardson, Minshew started 13 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023, finishing with a 7-6 record.
Pierce has commented on the quarterback situation, saying O'Connell "earned the right" to get the first snap. He complimented O'Connell for how he played coming into a difficult situation and noted that the QB has the "intangibles."
The support from Pierce has not gone unnoticed by O'Connell.
"Since really AP started, he's put a lot of confidence in me," O'Connell said, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "He's given me a great opportunity. I'm just trying to make the most of the opportunity. It really is a privilege and an opportunity to get to play on the team and get reps at the quarterback position."
Team activities begin on Monday, which will kick off the battle between O'Connell and Minshew.
Last season, O'Connell finished with 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Minshew was selected to the Pro Bowl after a season with a career-high 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also had 100 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the ground.
Both quarterbacks have potential, but neither is the obvious choice. Minshew comes with more experience, while O'Connell has been around the Raiders' system. Since O'Connell has just one year under his belt, and it was not a full year as a starter, we have not seen all he is capable of, which could be a positive or negative thing. Minshew has also never started for an entire season, spanning back to the start of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019.
