As they come off their Week 10 bye, the Raiders won’t be switching their starting quarterback.
Head coach Antonio Pierce said in his Wednesday press conference that Minshew will remain the team’s starter for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins.
“Listen, when we brought in Gardner, we expected, obviously, the play that we’ve seen in the past. And at some point, you’ve got to give a guy confidence,” Pierce said. “There’s been times, obviously, with turnovers and other things that’s taken place where we made decisions to either put him on the bench or go to another quarterback.
“But this week, I felt like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to move forward. And he has every opportunity to go out there and give us a win.”
Minshew has thrown for 1,501 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions in eight games this season, also losing four fumbles. Minshew was benched for QB Aidan O’Connell, but the second-year QB then suffered a thumb fracture that landed him on injured reserve.
Las Vegas recently picked up Desmond Ridder, who was an option to start. But with a new offensive play-caller in Scott Turner, the Raiders will stick with Minshew.
Pierce said “everybody around him” needs to be a part of giving Minshew that needed confidence.
“It starts with the staff, starts with myself,” Pierce said. “Starts with belief — letting him know, man, go out there and let it go. Let it loose.
“What have we got to lose at this point? Right? [We’re] 2-7. So, everything that’s behind us is behind us. I’m looking forward to everything in front of me.”
