They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing, over and over, expecting to gain different results. And folks, that's right where the Las Vegas Raiders appear to be at the moment.
Over the course of the summer, head coach Antonio Pierce conducted a quarterback competition betwen both Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew in order to determine who would get the first crack under center.
Ultimately, it was Minshew who beat out O'Connell for the job.
Yet, here we are in Week 6 and the Raiders are doing the exact same thing: holding a quarterback competition.
Yes, we're in-season and the Raiders are back to a quarterback competition. It seems completely absurd, to some, but Pierce and his coaching staff simply can't come to a concrete decision. For fans, it's gotten old, and fast.
In regards to the coaches and their feelings on both quarterbacks, one NFL insider recently peeled back the curtain just a bit. Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer included the topic in his latest column and provided quite the staggering bit of information on the topic at hand.
"The Raiders are mulling what to do at quarterback, and it’s at least notable that there were coaches there who believed in August that Aidan O’Connell had passed Gardner Minshew II at the position," Breer wrote.
The Raiders' coaching staff might be split between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew
In a nutshell, this isn't good.
A coaching staff needs to have one thing over everything else, and that is trust amongst one another. If the staff is split between the quarterbacks, the trust is stretched thin. It is on shaky ground, to put it differently.
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Pierce clearly favors Minshew, if he made the decision to go with the tenured veteran over the second-year pro. This begs the question: which coaches favor O'Connell? Is it offensive coordinator Luke Getsy who would prefer the younger passer?
If there is any kind of rift or distrust between Pierce and his coaching staff, that doesn't bode well for the remainder of the season. Not only do the Raiders have a perceived quarterback controversy, but they are also getting ready to part ways with one of the leaders of their franchise in wide receiver Davante Adams.
There is a lot going on in the building right now, and the Raiders are set to take on a motivated Pittsburgh Steelers team coming off their second-straight loss and boasting one of the tougher defensive fronts in the league. To say this isn't an ideal time for drama would be an understatement.
Not that there's ever a good time for drama within a franchise, but again, the amount of it could be lessened here, if possible.
Now, the Raiders are stuck in a midseason quarterback competition; something that's equally hilarious as it is worrisome.
Can't wait to see what happens next.