While Las Vegas Raiders fans were hoping for some semblance of a splash at the quarterback position this offseason, they didn't get it. Instead, the Raiders signed veteran Gardner Minshew to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting quarterback job.
While it remains to be seen how all that will pan out, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski listed the Raiders among the biggest losers of the 2024 NFL offseason because of the quarterbacks room.
Here's some of what he wrote:
The Raiders are heading into training camp with sophomore signal-caller Aidan O'Connell and free-agent signing Gardner Minshew. Some within the Raiders' fanbase are enamored with the flashes O'Connell showed as a rookie, and Minshew "earned" a Pro Bowl berth last season. But let's not kid ourselves here.
O'Connell lacks functional mobility, and Minshew has terrible pocket presence and marginal arm talent. They're both overachievers relative to their draft slots—they were fourth- and sixth-round picks, respectively—but good stories don't make quality starting options.
There is certainly justification for concerns about the Raiders' quarterback situation, but there are also reasons for optimism.
Minshew nearly took the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs last season with a worse supporting cast than the one he's walking into in Las Vegas. O'Connell finished last season strong and has the potential to take a leap in Year 2.
Even if both quarterbacks are average, at best, the Raiders have a good enough team overall — especially on defense — to still compete for a playoff spot.
Granted, fans would like a lot more than that, but after not making the playoffs for two years in a row, a postseason berth would be a step in the right direction.
