Raiders name Gardner Minshew as starting QB for Week 1

HENDERSON, Nev. — Gardner Minshew will open the season as the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback, coach Antonio Pierce announced Sunday.

Minshew, who signed with the Raiders as a free agent this offseason, was competing with Aidan O’Connell for the job.

“A lot of things went into it,” Pierce said. “It wasn’t based off of [solely] last night. There’s a lot of factors. So, we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that’s what we’re going with. We support him, our team’s behind it, our staff’s behind it, the organization’s behind it.”

The Raiders open the 2024 season at the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1.

Asked specifically what went into the decision, Pierce pointed out the “experience” of Minshew, who is entering his sixth NFL season, as well as the totality of the competition.

“The operation, the process and just everything we saw in practice,” Pierce said. “Some of it showed up in the games. A lot of stuff we can get better at. 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.”

Minshew, 28, is on his fourth team after signing a two-year, $25 million contract, including $15 million guaranteed, with the Raiders on March 14.

In two preseason games, he threw for 212 yards on 16-of-33 passing with a touchdown. The mobile Minshew also had 12 yards rushing on two attempts.

O’Connell, meanwhile, was a combined 21-of-29 for 172 yards with a TD and an interception, which was returned for a touchdown.

“I think we both put together a great body of work, played some great ball and left it up to Coach to make a hard decision,” Minshew said after the Raiders’ lackluster 27-12 exhibition loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.

“I’m super optimistic about what we’re going to be able to do as a team this year and just looking forward to this year, in general.”

Pierce said the decision to go with Minshew was made after consulting with general manager Tom Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

“His personality is infectious, his energy is infectious, his leadership is infectious,” Pierce said of Minshew. “Things of improvement — [his] footwork in the pocket, staying on script.

“There is some magic about him when he does break the pocket and does his thing, but there’s a lot of times where if the first [or] second read is there, we’ve got to let it rip. So, he understands that. And more importantly, taking care of the football.”

O’Connell, a fourth-round pick in 2023 who was installed as a rookie starter by Pierce when he was elevated to interim coach on Nov. 1, finished strong last season. He threw eight touchdown passes without an interception in the Raiders’ final four games, when Las Vegas went 3-1.

The Raiders’ lone loss in that stretch? To Minshew and the Indianapolis Colts on New Year’s Eve.

“Those two gentlemen are professionals,” Pierce said. “The way they’ve handled this competition has really resonated throughout our building … they’ve cheered each other on, they’ve been good teammates, they’ve brought out the best version of each other in practices and, I think, in the games. They both took it on the chin like a champ. And I told them, just both be ready. In the National Football League, you never know.

“But Aidan is a young player that has a tremendous upside that I think will still be a starter here in this league … will be a starter at some point in this league, if it’s this year or next year, but he will play in games. And I think Gardner has done a good job of … being that older presence. He’s played a couple of years in the league, and he’s been through some adversity, so that’s been good for Aidan.”

While this will be the sixth straight season Minshew starts at least one game, his only other Week 1 start came in 2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Minshew will be starting for his fourth different franchise since 2020, tying Andy Dalton, Carson Wentz and Baker Mayfield for the most in that span, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The  Minnesota Vikings’ Sam Darnold will also likely join this list this season.