Once the 2023 NFL season officially came to an end for the Las Vegas Raiders, there were a lot of questions about where the franchise was headed in terms of their coaching situation and what the team intended to do at the quarterback position.
It didn’t take long before longtime owner Mark Davis was convinced that Antonio Pierce was the right man for the job after what he was able to do taking over for Josh McDaniels, but the quarterback question still loomed large as the team seemed to be considering drafting another quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Although Aidan O’Connell did an admirable job winning the starting job over veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, there seemed to be something left to be desired, as the team appeared not to be sold on the rookie quarterback.
That said, the Raiders were expected to draft a quarterback for the second straight year but then ended up not doing it because they couldn’t get their hands on Jayden Daniels or Michael Penix Jr.
With the Raiders unable to get who they wanted in the first round of the draft, it appears that the team is ready to give O’Connell the opportunity to prove his worth as the starter, with Pierce claiming he’s done enough to get the first snap, via ProFootballTalk.
Antonio Pierce: Aidan O’Connell has earned right to take first snap. https://t.co/z1ddAId1AV
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 10, 2024
With the team parting ways with Garoppolo after a disappointing season, as he couldn’t stay healthy and wasn’t productive when he could play, the Raiders signed veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew in NFL free agency.
The Raiders’ move was unexpected, but it seemed to be a smart one, especially if the coaching staff wasn’t totally confident in O’Connell.
Minshew and O’Connell will likely battle it out in training camp with the starting job on the line.
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