NFL insider suggests Raiders' starting quarterback may not be on the roster

When the Las Vegas Raiders kick off their 2024 NFL season this weekend against the division rival Los Angeles Chargers, they'll be one of the few teams which doesn't have its starting quarterback situation completely sorted out.

Head coach Antonio Pierce named Gardner Minshew the starter, but most would assume that this situation will be a week-to-week type of thing. This truly is fluid and muddy, at best.

If you were to ask some of the more clued-in experts such as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on the matter, the Raiders might not even have their starting quarterback on the current roster. In his latest column, Fowler was accompanied by his peer, Dan Graziano, to discuss many burning topics, including the Raiders' quarterback room.

"The Raiders' quarterback situation still feels unsettled," wrote Fowler. "Neither Gardner Minshew nor Aidan O'Connell appeared to take ownership of the job in training camp and the first two preseason games."

Fowler went on to talk about the Raiders paying Minshew $12.5 million this season, although some in the building still favored Aidan O'Connell. Then, Fowler ended that particular segment with the following statement:

"This is an improved roster that just needs passable quarterback play. I'm curious to see how many passers Las Vegas will use to find it."

How many passers will they use to find it? Huh ... as if there will be other options available, but whom?

Which quarterbacks might become available via trade this season?

There might not be a whole lot of names available this season, but let's talk about a few.

The real long shot is Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons. Although Atlanta has made several moves which hints they're all-in on winning right now, they still selected Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of this year's draft.

If Cousins starts to struggle, at any point this season, you can bet on fans calling for the rookie.

The situation over in Pittsburgh is one to monitor, as Russell Wilson is the starter, for now. Many in the building reportedly favor Justin Fields in that room, though, and it could be a matter of time before Mike Tomlin makes the switch. If he does, Wilson isn't likely to take the news in a positive manner, and his minimal contract makes a trade feasible.

Another possibility might be over in New England, if rookie Drake Maye takes over at any point for Jacoby Brissett. However, would Brissett be an improvement? He'd likely be a lateral move.

The Cleveland Browns may still be open to trading a quarterback after the release of Tyler Huntley. Jameis Winston could garner some interest if Deshaun Watson proves to return to form, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson is still there as well.

The Broncos have a trio of quarterbacks in their room, but that's not necessarily the tree we'd like to be picking from.

There aren't a lot of other options that would be considered an upgrade to either Minshew or O'Connell, though. So, when Fowler was hinting at Las Vegas potentially bringing in another quarterback, it's tough to gauge whom he might have been referring to.