The Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback competition was the main focus of the team's preseason Week 1 game against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday and one former NFL wide receiver came away with a prediction after contest was over.
That former NFL wide receiver is Dez Bryant, who believes that Gardner Minshew will be the team's starter over Aidan O'Connell in 2024.
Both quarterbacks played well in their preseason debuts, with O'Connell completing 7-of-9 passes for 76 yards in his lone series and Minshew finishing 6-of-12 for 117 yards and one touchdown in his three series.
The Raiders scored on all three of Minshew's drives, with two touchdowns and one field goal, but O'Connell's series was halted in the red zone after he was sacked on third down.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if Gardner Minshew become the starting QB for the Raiders," Bryant tweeted. "He’s yet to get the real opportunity he deserves. He should get a fair shot to be the guy!"
"It will be the Minshew show in Las Vegas," Bryant added. "(Davante) Adams will have 1500-1700 (yards) with Minshew at QB."
While Bryant seems certain, I wouldn't say we have more clarity on who will win the competition after Saturday.
Sure, Minshew had the bigger stat line, some flashier throws and the trio of scoring drives, but O'Connell was no slouch and only had one opportunity and faced the Vikings' first-team defense.
You can make the argument that Minshew has pulled ahead in the battle, but if so, it isn't by much. The starting job in Las Vegas is still very much up for grabs and we'll see if either signal-caller can take control in preseason Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.
If there's one thing we can say definitively, it's that the performances of both signal-callers should leave Raiders fans feeling a lot better than they have about both this entire offseason.
