The Las Vegas Raiders swung and missed on a potential trade for Matthew Stafford this week, leaving them to pivot toward other quarterback options this offseason.
While Stafford may have been the most promising quarterback potentially available, ultimately, the Raiders were not willing to give up a first-round pick for the 37-year-old. It also seems like he wanted to return to Los Angeles and could have been using Las Vegas as leverage.
Regardless of how things shook out, Pete Carroll and John Spytek will have their hands full in finding an upgrade over Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell. It may not be difficult finding a player that is better than either of them, but the hard part is finding a player who fits the system at the right price point.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter listed three potential veteran quarterback options for the Silver and Black following the Stafford news:
With Matthew Stafford remaining with the Rams, the Las Vegas Raiders now are expected to investigate veteran quarterback options that include Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Sam Darnold, per sources. pic.twitter.com/9RUGIZy5g9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 28, 2025
Darnold is certainly the best player at this point in his career, but it is currently unknown what his asking price will be. At somewhere around $25 million per year, he could make a lot of sense for the Raiders as they buy their time finding another long-term option at the position. He also has the most potential to be that long-term option for the Silver and Black, but it is not worth wagering around $40 million to find out.
The Steelers will likely re-sign either Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, but not both of them. The odd man out should be on the Raiders' radar, as both had success as starting quarterbacks in 2024. Wilson certainly has a better resume and a higher floor, but Fields has shown promise in the first few years of his NFL career. It will take some more time to find out if Fields will be a franchisee quarterback at the professional level but he has a higher ceiling that Wilson at this point and will be the cheapest option of the three.
Regardless of who the team chooses to pursue and ultimately acquire this offseason, Las Vegas knows it cannot run things back with the same quarterback room as last season. Upgrades are coming for the Raiders this offseason at the most important position in football.