Las Vegas Raiders: Jarrett Stidham has earned his chance to be QB1 in 2023
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have one more game to go in their 2022 regular season, giving Jarrett Stidham another chance to put some good play on tape.
Going into his first start as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, nobody really knew what to expect from Jarrett Stidham. A career backup, Stidham was given an opportunity to show what he has down the stretch, as he was named the starter for the last two games of the Raiders 2022 regular season.
The interesting part about this move was that Las Vegas was still technically alive for the playoffs when they decided to make a change at starting quarterback. Derek Carr had been the man for the franchise for the past nine seasons, but with another new regime in town in 2022, it was clear something was off.
Stidham had played for new head coach Josh McDaniels in New England and was familiar with the offense, but nobody could have expected what he did on Sunday against one of the best teams in the NFL. Playing against the No. 1-ranked defense, Stidham went off, and outside of the interception in overtime, played as well as we have seen a Raiders quarterback play in some time.
Raiders will be looking to upgrade the QB spot in 2023
The quarterback position will be well scrutinized this offseason, as the Silver and Black look to upgrade the position. Carr is done in the Silver and Black, and will likely be traded soon after the Super Bowl, but what direction does the team go when it comes to the most important position in sports.
After seeing how well Stidham can run McDaniels’s offense, you have to think he has earned a chance to at least fight for the starting job in 2023. We will see how well he performs in Week 18 against New England, but all signs point to him having a perfect skill set, and mentality to run this Raiders offense.
Over the next few months, the Raiders quarterback spot will be a hot topic, and the team could certainly bring in a veteran like Tom Brady, or go with a rookie with their top-10 pick. However, do not overlook Stidham, especially with his relationship with McDaniels, and how he earned the locker room’s respect on Sunday.