Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II competed with each other for most of the summer as the Silver and Black tried to find the right player to lead the team next season.
O’Connell performed admirably over the final nine games of last season, but the Raiders needed to see how the young quarterback developed during the offseason. For O’Connell to retain his position as the starter, he also had to beat out Minshew, a much more experienced quarterback.
While O’Connell had the advantage of being familiar with most of the Raiders’ offensive line, he and Minshew spent the offseason learning the scheme of a new offensive coordinator, which evened out the competition somewhat. Both quarterbacks also had to learn the new offense while practicing against a defense that would be among the best in the National Football League this season.
Since the Raiders have chosen not to participate in joint practices with other teams this offseason, their first preseason game was the team’s first opportunity to see what O’Connell and Minshew looked like against another team’s defense. Both quarterbacks performed well on the field, with Minshew playing significantly longer than O’Connell.
Minshew completed six of his 12 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown. He also put the Raiders in scoring position on a touchdown drive that was capped by a short rushing touchdown by running back Zamir White. Minshew also led the team to a field goal before halftime.
O’Connell completed seven of his nine passes for 76 yards and led the Raiders to a field goal on his only drive of the game.
Minshew played four times, while O’Connell played just once. While Minshew undoubtedly looked good on the field, the fact that he played well and stayed in the game for so long doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be the starting quarterback when the season begins. It could mean the opposite, as the Raiders may want to see what they have in Minshew against other teams.
Their decision is based on nine games, a full offseason and a productive first drive in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s offense with O’Connell as the team’s starting quarterback.
Pierce said after the game against the Vikings that the Raiders could decide on their starting quarterback after the next preseason game. If O’Connell again plays just one drive or significantly less than Minshew, that could be a sign that he will be the starting quarterback. Usually, starting quarterbacks don’t play much during preseason. The fact that the Raiders only let him play briefly in several preseason games could be an indication of who will be the starting quarterback in Week 1.
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