It’s no secret that the quarterback battle in Las Vegas is off to a slow start. The Raiders have only had a handful of practices, and neither Aidan O’Connell nor Gardner Minshew has impressed. There is still plenty of time before a decision needs to be made, but should the Raiders consider naming a starter now before camp begins?
In a recent article by Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus, he took a look at eight of the biggest training camp battles ahead of the 2024 season. That list, of course, included Minshew vs. O’Connell.
McGuinness made the case that the Raiders should name O’Connell the starter now due to his higher ceiling and use Minshew as a “reliever” if needed. Here is a snippet of his thoughts on the QB battle going on in Las Vegas:
O’Connell was the surprise starting quarterback from the 2023 draft class, getting the nod behind center 10 times across the season. He had some nice moments, too, earning a PFF passing grade above 70.0 in four of those starts.
Minshew is the veteran, having earned a PFF passing grade above 60.0 in all three seasons where he has played 350 or more dropbacks. He is a safe bet to give the Raiders solid quarterback play. However, the right decision for the long-term is for Las Vegas to find out what it has in O’Connell. It will give the team greater clarity about what to do at the position come the end of the season.
The Raiders were able to win games last year with Aidan O’Connell despite him being a rookie and instability with the coaching staff. It does make sense to give him every crack at the starting job and allow him to learn through the struggles. While anything could still happen in regards to this competition, expect O’Connell to eventually win out and earn the QB1 title.
