The Las Vegas Raiders find themselves in all too familiar territory as the 2024 season mercifully starts to come to a close. The team is near the bottom of the NFL standings, Antonio Pierce looks in over his skis as a head coach, and Gardner Minshew is not the answer at quarterback.
Minshew, who was excellent in almost leading the Colts to the playoffs last season, threw more interceptions than touchdown passes before breaking his collarbone so severely that he will miss the entire 2024 season. Desmond Ridder and Aidan O'Connell will try to compete for a backup role in 2025.
No matter what happens with the coach, it seems like the Raiders will be looking for a new starting quarterback, as Minshew still has one more year on his contract. Be it through a high draft pick or a free agent signing that brings a veteran over to town, these four candidates should be on Tom Telesco's radar.
4 potential starting QBs Raiders should target to replace Gardner Minshew
4. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Sanders brings a ton of outside noise with him, and he still hasn't answered questions about his ability to avoid taking costly sacks. However, in terms of the act of simply dropping back and delivering the football with accuracy after reading a defense, Sanders may be the best quarterback prospect in the 2025 class.
With a deadeye arm and a football brain that belies his years after absorbing information from his Hall of Fame father, Sanders will come into the NFL with a fairly high floor. While he doesn't have elite arm strength, Sanders will generate a buzz and electricity the moribund Raiders need right now.
3. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
With Daniel Jones rejecting the Raiders after his Giants release, another failed New York quarterback could be in Vegas' sights. After struggling mightily with the Jets and Panthers, Darnold's ability to mesh well with Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings' menagerie of high-end skill position players has led to a career year.
With JJ McCarthy coming down the lane, Darnold will likely be looking for work elsewhere. Darnold has some nice playmaking chops and a solid arm that could help Brock Bowers further his ascension up the NFL's tight end power rankings, even if his turnover problems haven't fully gone away.
2. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
While the play of Russell Wilson has been so solid that the Steelers made the right decision to go back to the veteran quarterback, Fields appears to have fixed many of the flaws he had with the Bears. His accuracy from the pocket is improved, he is taking fewer sacks, and he isn't holding the ball as long.
With one of the stronger arms among the many young quarterbacks in the league and top-shelf athleticism for the position, Fields could get one more crack at a starting job in 2025. In a league where Darnold and Baker Mayfield resurrected their careers in Minnesota and Tampa Bay, why can't Fields do the same in Las Vegas?
1. Cam Ward, Miami
At this point, preferring Ward over Sanders may be a matter of personal preference above all else. While both of them can spin it, Ward has the stronger arm, better playmaking chops when the pocket breaks down, and better accuracy on deep balls. Ward looks more like an instant Day 1 starter.
The Raiders will likely need to compete with the New York Giants for the No. 1 pick, as whoever does not take Ward will likely end up with Sanders. While losing the next six games could be tough for Raiders fans, getting Ward at the end of this could make up for it.