Raiders QB situation goes from bad to worse with Gardner Minshew injury update
By Ryan Heckman
This season has been borderline-nightmarish for the Las Vegas Raiders. But, what else would fans have expected, if we're being honest with ourselves?
The Raiders went throughout the entire offseason without addressing their biggest roster concern which, to no one's surprise, was (and still is) at the quarterback position. 11 games into this season, and the Raiders' quarterbacks have combined to throw for 2,312 yards, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a collective quarterback rating of 81.6.
Needless to say, you couldn't get any more average than that. It's mediocrity at its finest, if you will.
Most of the heavy lifting has been done by veteran Gardner Minshew, this season, with Aidan O'Connell only appearing in four games and currently on injured reserve. Meanwhile, former Cincinnati standout and third-round pick Desmond Ridder is in the midst of another chance to further his career thanks to the O'Connell injury.
What Ridder may not have anticipated, though, is the opportunity that is now being presented to him. For right now, the idea is that Ridder will now be the team's starting quarterback for the immediate future, unless the Raiders make another move.
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Why?
Late in the Raiders' Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos, Minshew exited the game with an injury. Not long after the game was over, Minshew received the official word that he had broken his collarbone and would be out for the remainder of the season.
The Raiders' revolving door could continue at quarterback after the Gardner Minshew injury
So, for now, it's Ridder. however, O'Connell should be back in a couple of weeks assuming he recovers from his fractured thumb as planned.
But, another option for the team's starter under center could end up being former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who was released this past week after his benching by head coach Brian Daboll.
Jones reportedly wants to join a contending team and should have plenty of interest, so the Raiders may not necessarily be the team to bet on when it comes to his next home. However, it's not out of the question until Jones makes his decision which will likely come early on this week.
What we do know, overall, is the fact that Las Vegas is going into the 2025 offseason with a clear picture of what they need to do. The Raiders' primary focus needs to be addressing the quarterback position.
The last thing this team needs is to go into another season with a bunch of question marks in the quarterback room. This fan base needs some hope. The organization needs direction. Hopefully, that comes in the team's upcoming offseason.