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The Las Vegas Raiders got out to a 3-5 start in the 2023 NFL season, but after head coach Josh McDaniels was fired and Antonio Pierce took over the team, they rattled off five wins in their final nine games. Las Vegas blew out the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day and showed a lot of promise with Pierce running the show, but the quarterback position remained underwhelming.
Heading into 2024, the organization has high-end pieces like Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby, so if the quarterback play can improve, the Silver and Black could be a sneaky playoff contender.
Who is the Raiders' starting quarterback, and will they select a signal-caller during the 2024 NFL Draft? Let's dive in.
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Who is the Starting Quarterback for the Raiders?
If the season began today, veteran Gardner Minshew or youngster Aidan O'Connell would draw the start for the Raiders. Minshew signed a two-year, $25 million contract to join the organization this offseason, and that's not cheap for a backup.
The former Washington State Cougar has thrown for nearly 10,000 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions in his five-year NFL career, so he's had more overall success than most people likely realize. Meanwhile, O'Connell who is just over two years younger than Minshew, compiled a 5-5 record behind 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in his rookie campaign.
Gardner Minshew: "F it, Alec Pierce down there somewhere" pic.twitter.com/dZwgEVg74H
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) December 31, 2023
Ultimately, Minshew should be the favorite to win the quarterback position battle this offseason, and he'll have solid weapons to throw to in Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and promising second-year tight end Michael Mayer. That said, it's not out of the realm of possibility that O'Connell wins the job -- assuming Las Vegas does not take a quarterback early in this month's NFL draft.
Will the Raiders Pick a Quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft?
Las Vegas currently holds the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, meaning they'd likely need to trade up to acquire Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or J.J. McCarthy. However, if they love either Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix, they should be able to land either of those former PAC-12 quarterbacks without moving up.
Schefter on Raiders "There's been a lot of chatter, real or not, that the Raiders do like Michael Penix. I do believe Raiders would have loved to have found a way to go get Daniels, but impossible to make happen." pic.twitter.com/2vC3VkWJui
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) April 16, 2024
Ultimately, it would not be a surprise if the Raiders took a shot on one of those two quarterbacks, but they might opt to build elsewhere and wait until 2025 or 2026 to secure their franchise QB of the future. The Raiders are undoubtedly one of the most interesting franchises to watch when the draft begins on Thursday, so it will be fun to see what route they take in attacking a rebuild.
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