The Las Vegas Raiders, exhibiting their strategic acumen, declined to select a quarterback from the deep 2024 NFL draft class with their eight picks this weekend. Instead, they expanded their roster with Pro Bowl quarterback Gardner Minshew, released last year’s starter, Jimmy Garoppolo, and kept Aidan O’Connell, who showed potential in 2023. Undeterred by their offseason manoeuvres, the Raiders quickly signed an undrafted free agent quarterback following the league draft.
According to NFL source Tom Pelissero, the Raiders have signed former South Alabama Jaguars gunslinger Carter Bradley, son of longtime NFL coach Gus Bradley, as an undrafted free agent. Bradley, along with former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown, completes the current QB room in Las Vegas.
South Alabama quarterback Carter Bradley’s college career
Carter Bradley, a three-star prospect in the 2018 class from Jacksonville, Florida, has signed with the Toledo Rockets out of Providence High School. Bradley spent three seasons playing behind teammate quarterback Eli Peters, throwing ten touchdowns and seven interceptions. Bradley played a secondary role in 2021, with DeQuan Finn passing 18 touchdowns and two interceptions. With Finn established as the starter, Bradley transferred to South Alabama for the 2022 season.
Bradley took up quarterback duties in 2022, guiding the Jaguars to a five-win improvement. He passed for 3,335 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, receiving second-team All-Sun Belt recognition. The six-foot-three, 215-pound passer maintained his exceptional passing in 2024, his final college season. Bradley finished the year with 2,660 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Carter Bradley’s NFL Profile
Bradley, 24, enters the 2024 NFL Draft as one of the elder quarterbacks. Bradley was ranked as the 13th best quarterback in the class by NFL Draft Buzz and might be an undrafted free agency. Bradley, a prolific passer in his final two seasons, possesses exceptional short and intermediate touch. However, as reported by most draft sites, he lacks deep ball touch.
Carter Bradley is the son of Gus Bradley, the former Jacksonville Jaguars coach. In 2021, the older Bradley served as the Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive coordinator. He has been with the Indianapolis Colts for the previous two seasons, holding the same title.
Las Vegas Raiders’ Quarterback Depth Chart
Barring an unexpected move, Gardner Minshew will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback next season. Last season, Minshew won Pro Bowl honours after throwing for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions as a near-season replacement for the injured Anthony Richardson. Minshew has put up good stats as an NFL passer despite only starting double-digit games twice in his five-year career. Minshew has a career 90.2 quarterback rating, with 59 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
Along with Minshew, the Raiders will have Aidan O’Connell as a backup option. Last year, O’Connell started ten games for Las Vegas and went 5-5, tossing 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. O’Connell, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, put up impressive stats at Purdue from 2019 to 2022.
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