Wow, what a difference a week can make. The Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Gardner Minshew II were on a high after winning on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. However, with a blowout loss at home to the Carolina Panthers, which reduced the Raiders to 1-2 on the season, Minshew is firmly on the hot seat.
That was the assessment of ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, who discussed the next NFL quarterback likely to be benched in a joint essay published on Wednesday, September 25. “The Raiders played a lousy game and lost to the Panthers on Sunday, and coach Antonio Pierce was clearly not happy afterward,” Graziano said. “I’m not claiming Minshew was one of the players Pierce accused of making “business judgments” in that game, but he ranks 24th in QBR (44.1) after three weeks.
Teams frequently change starting quarterbacks to liven things up, even when the quarterback is not entirely to blame. I wouldn’t be surprised to see [Aidan] O’Connor start. soo
Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup quarterback, could be a strong candidate for the job.
The Steelers named Wilson their starter ahead of the season, but a calf injury ruined that plan, and Wilson is still recovering. Meanwhile, Justin Fields is unbeaten after three weeks and appears to have secured the No. 1 spot. Wilson will cost only $1.2 million in 2024, as the Denver Broncos are responsible for approximately $38 million of Wilson’s contract after releasing him this offseason.
He is also an eight-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl ring and more than 43,000 career throwing yards, making him a far stronger alternative to Minshew or O’Connell. None of this suggests that Wilson, who will soon turn 36, is the future of Las Vegas.
However, he might help the team compete in the AFC as it prepares to identify a long-term quarterback, either through the 2025 NFL draft, free agency next year, or the trade market at some point in the future.
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