Raiders Announce Starting Quarterback to End Dismal QB Competition

A quarterback competition is intended to produce a winner, ideally a signal caller who demonstrated in training camp and the preseason that he is the one to be trusted with the keys to the offense when the games really count.

That is the intention anyway. For the Las Vegas Raiders, their QB competition between 2023 starter Aidan O'Connell and free-agent signee Gardner Minshew provided more uncomfortable questions than satisfying answers. Ultimately, one of them —  good or bad — had to be behind center for the Raiders' September 8 season opener on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Head coach Antonio Pierce has seemingly opted for the lesser of two evils. On Sunday, Pierce announced that Minshew, the 28-year-old six-year journeyman, would be the team's starting quarterback.

A second preseason game of subpar play and uninspiring results by O'Connell and Minshew in Saturday's 27-12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys visibly irked Pierce, who had hoped a clear-cut starter would have emerged. He didn't exactly give a ringing endorsement of either QB after the game.

"We’re gonna have to make a decision," Pierce told reporters, "and we’re gonna live with it."

“I wish it had ended well for both gentlemen," he added, "and it just didn’t.”

Minshew started against Dallas and did not play well while completing only 10 passes in 21 attempts for 95 yards. O'Connell was the more effective QB, throwing for 96 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-20 passing, but the 25-year-old second-year pro also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.

Pierce said the QB decision was based on the entire camp and two preseason games. However, O'Connell's ugly pick-six Saturday certainly didn't help his case.

"We feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that's who we're going with," Pierce said Sunday. "We support him. Our team is behind it. Our staff is behind it. Our organization is behind it."

Minshew's QB1 status is hardly etched in stone. He's being paid like a starting quarterback with his two-year, $25 million contract, but it wouldn't be surprising if Pierce shows a quick hook after a stretch of poor games.

O'Connell, who started 10 games as a rookie last year, has the stronger arm of the two, but he lacks the experience of Minshew, who has started 37 games in his previous five seasons. Last year with the Indianapolis Colts, he made 13 starts and threw for 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns.

“There’s a lot of stuff we can get better at,” Pierce said. “I don’t think anything here is a finished product. But, based off of where we want to go in the first quarter of the season, we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity.”