Breaking: Raiders Head Coach Name Starting QB to Put an End to the Horrible QB Competition.
The goal of a quarterback battle is to select a winner, preferably a signal caller who has proven during training camp and the preseason that he is the guy who should be trusted with the offense’s keys when the chips are down.
In any case, it is the goal. The quarterback rivalry between 2023 starter Aidan O’Connell and free-agent signee Gardner Minshew with the Las Vegas Raiders raised more questions than it satisfied. In the end, one of them had to start at quarterback for the Raiders’ away season opening against the Los Angeles Chargers on September 8th, regardless of how good or horrible they were.
It appears that head coach Antonio Pierce chose the least of two evils. Pierce said on Sunday that Minshew, a 28-year-old journeyman with six seasons under his belt, would be the team’s starting QB.
Pierce, who had thought that a clear-cut starter would have emerged, was clearly irritated by O’Connell and Minshew’s lackluster play and performance in Saturday’s 27-12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in their second preseason game. After the game, he didn’t exactly give either quarterback his highest recommendation.
Pierce said reporters, “We’re going to have to make a decision and we’re going to live with it.”
He went on, “I wish it had ended well for both gentlemen, but it just didn’t.”
Minshew did not play well in his first game versus Dallas, finishing with just 10 completions out of 21 attempts for 95 yards. O’Connell, a 25-year-old second-year pro, was the more efficient quarterback, throwing for 96 yards and a touchdown on 14 of 20 passes. However, he also threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
According to Pierce, the QB selection was made after the full training camp and the first two preseason games. O’Connell’s awful pick-six on Saturday, though, didn’t exactly help his situation.
“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 on Sunday. “We back him up. We are the ones behind it. Our employees are the ones driving it. It’s supported by our organization.”
Minshew’s position as a QB1 is not set in stone. With his two-year, $25 million deal, Pierce is getting paid like a starting quarterback, but it wouldn’t be shocking if he displayed a quick hook following a run of subpar performances.
Minshew has more experience than O’Connell, who began 10 games as a rookie last year and has a stronger arm than the other player. Minshew has started 37 games in his prior five seasons. He passed for 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns in 13 starts with the Indianapolis Colts last season.
