Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said this week that Aidan O’Connell has earned the right to compete for the starting quarterback job this offseason, but the 2023 fourth-round pick is going to have to overcome Gardner Minshew in order to win the job.
The Raiders signed Minshew to a two-year contract earlier this month after he had a successful run piloting the Colts in the wake of Anthony Richardson’s season-ending shoulder injury. That run included a late-season win over the Raiders that Pierce cited along with Minshew’s overall makeup while discussing what he likes about the older quarterback this week.
“One thing about Gardner that you see throughout his career, he finds a way, right? So, that’s going to make our room better,” Pierce said, via the team’s website. “He’s been through a lot of adversity; you want that experience as well in there. So, to me, it’s a good fit, and it’s a culture fit. Wild boy right there. I like the personality.”
The choice between Minshew and O’Connell will be one of Pierce’s first big calls since being hired on a permanent basis in Las Vegas and getting it right would be a good way to set himself up for a long run in the job.
