The Las Vegas Raiders finished out their 2024 NFL season with a loss at the hands of division rival Los Angeles. The loss to the Chargers capped off a 4-13 campaign for Antonio Pierce in his first full season at the helm of the Silver and Black, and brought into question about whether or not he will return in his role as head coach in 2025.
Outside of Pierce, the biggest question for the upcoming season for the Las Vegas Raiders is who will be the team's quarterback. This season was an absolute debacle at the quarterback position, as Pierce rolled with Gardner Minshew III to start the season, and that proved to be a horrific mistake.
When all was said and done, Aidan O'Connell once again took over in the second half of the season for the second year in a row, and played some good football. He led the Raiders to wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints in Weeks 16 and 17, which ultimately cost the Raiders a shot at the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
So where does Las Vegas go from here at the most important position in all of sports? One could argue that it will all come down to this factor.
Raiders owner Tom Brady should have final say at QB in 2025
Tom Brady is considered by most to be the best quarterback in NFL history, this after winning seven Super Bowl rings. Recently, Brady became a part-owner of the Raiders franchise, and should have a big voice in the room when it comes to player personnel moving forward.
O'Connell, when you look at his statistics for his career, has played solid football, but many argue that he is nothing more than a long-term backup at the NFL level. However, he has won a few games for the Raiders, and some fans feel that draft picks should be used on other positions, especially the first-round pick in 2025.
With the Raiders picking at No. 6 overall, getting one of the premier quarterbacks, in a pretty mid-quarterback draft is likely off the table. However, whoever the starter is in 2025, will have to be someone that Brady feels the team can win with, which should be the deciding factor into who is under center in Week 1 next September.
Did O'Connell do enough to win Brady over down the stretch in 2025? Will the Raiders punt on the 2025 season and hope to get a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft? Or will they take a chance on adding potentially Sam Darnold or Justin Fields in free agency?
Only time will tell, but whoever the choice is, you has better hope that Brady will have his fingerprints all over it.