What a difference a week can make. After the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Gardner Minshew II pulled off an impressive road victory against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, things quickly turned sour. Following a lopsided home loss to the Carolina Panthers, dropping the Raiders to 1-2, Minshew now finds himself on the hot seat.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, Minshew could be the next quarterback benched. In a joint column published on Wednesday, September 25, Graziano noted, “The Raiders played poorly and lost to the Panthers on Sunday, and coach Antonio Pierce was clearly displeased.
While I’m not saying Minshew was the player Pierce referred to when accusing some of making ‘business decisions,’ Minshew ranks 24th in QBR (44.1) after three weeks.
Teams often make changes at quarterback to shake things up, even if the blame doesn’t solely fall on the QB. I wouldn’t be surprised if [Aidan] O’Connell gets the start soon.”
One name being floated as a potential replacement is Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Russell Wilson. Though the Steelers initially named Wilson their starter, a calf injury disrupted that plan, and he is still working his way back to full health.
Meanwhile, Justin Fields has led his team to three straight wins, cementing himself as the top quarterback. Wilson, an 8-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl win and over 43,000 career passing yards, remains a strong option for the Raiders. Though Denver owes him $38 million after cutting him, he would cost Las Vegas just $1.2 million in 2024, making him an affordable alternative to Minshew or O’Connell.
That said, Wilson, who will soon turn 36, isn’t seen as a long-term solution for the Raiders. But he could help them stay competitive in the AFC as they look for a permanent quarterback through the 2025 draft, free agency, or a future trade.
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