How much of a difference does a week really make? After defeating the Baltimore Ravens on the road in Week 2, the Las Vegas Raiders and quarterback Gardner Minshew II were on a high. Minshew is undoubtedly under fire, though, following the Raiders’ crushing home loss to the Carolina Panthers, which sent them to a 1-2 record for the season.
In a joint essay published on Wednesday, September 25, Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN expressed their opinions on the subject of the next NFL quarterback likely to be benched. “The Raiders played a lousy game and lost to the Panthers on Sunday, and coach Antonio Pierce was clearly not happy afterward,” Graziano stated. “Minshew is 24th in QBR (44.1) through three weeks, and I’m not claiming he was one of the people Pierce was accusing of making “business judgements” in that game. Even when the quarterback isn’t entirely to blame, clubs frequently switch around their starting quarterback in an attempt to mix things up. It wouldn’t surprise me if [Aidan] O’Connell began work shortly.
Russell Wilson, the backup quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is one of the strongest candidates. Prior to the season, Wilson was named the Steelers’ starting quarterback; however, a calf injury delayed that plan, and Wilson is currently recovering. In the meantime, Justin Fields has gone three weeks without losing and seems to have cemented the top spot. Wilson will only cost $1.2 million in 2024 because the Denver Broncos, who cut Wilson this offseason, will be responsible for over $38 million of his compensation. In addition, he has well over 43,000 career throwing yards, a Super Bowl ring, and eight Pro Bowl seasons under his belt. These qualities make him a far better candidate than Minshew or O’Connell.
None of this is to say that Wilson, who will soon turn 36 years old, is the future in Las Vegas. However, he could help the team compete in the AFC as it prepares to find a long-term answer under center either by way of the 2025 NFL draft, free agency next year or the trade market at some point down the road.
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