Many fans are pushing for O’Connell to take over the starting job. According to a September 23 X post by The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Raiders intend to stay with Minshew in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns.
Wide receiver Davante Adams wants Las Vegas to score as many points as possible, and he believes that keeping Minshew as the starter is the best decision
“You also don’t want your quarterback walking on eggshells because what message does that send Aidan [O’Connell] the moment they plug Gardner after three weeks of naming him the starter,” Adams stated when discussing the September 24 episode of “Up & Adams.” “It doesn’t give you a sense of security…it’s like having a girlfriend and making her feel like she could leave any day.” That isn’t the emotion she desires.
“I don’t think you’ll get the finest output out of your daughter if she thinks she’s going to be kicked out. I don’t think that is our team’s approach.”
Adams’ word is very important to the Raiders offence, so if he supports keeping Minshew as the starter, many of the other players on the offence are likely to agree.
How Long is Gardner Minshew’s Leash?
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Head coach Antonio Pierce has demonstrated that he is not afraid to make significant changes if his team is losing. However, he has demonstrated that he does not want to change up the quarterback room too much. Even when O’Connell struggled as a starter last season, Pierce never lost up on him.
With that in mind, Minshew will most likely need to perform poorly for Pierce to make a move. So far, he’s been good. He has a completion rate of 73.7% and ranks sixth in the NFL with 747 throwing yards. The Raiders’ weak rushing game and offensive line play are not Minshew’s fault. At the same time, he hasn’t contributed much to the offence.
If Las Vegas falls to 1-3 and Minshew performs poorly, replacing him with O’Connell should be considered. It is preferable for a bad club to play a young quarterback to see what they can do than to play a veteran who may not be on the squad the following year.
The Raiders cannot afford another home loss.
It’s one thing to be disgraced on the road, but being blasted out by a winless club at home is about the worst thing that can happen to an NFL squad. The Raiders are already struggling to fill Allegiant Stadium with home fans, and the Panthers’ loss will make things even more difficult.
In Week 4, the club hosts the 1-2 Browns in Las Vegas, and another blowout loss might cause fans to abandon the team for the rest of the season. This will only make it more difficult for the Raiders to win games, as they have yet to win over the Las Vegas fans.
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