Despite the shocking loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and head coach Antonio Pierce giving mixed signals about his intentions, the Las Vegas Raiders are not expected to make a change at the quarterback position.
According to a recent report by Paul Gutierrez of ESPN, the Raiders will continue with veteran Gardner Minshew as their starting quarterback. Reportedly, benching Minshew was never proposed as an option, and the team always planned to have him under center for the Week 4 game against the Cleveland Browns.
Minshew threw for 214 yards, one touchdown, and one interception before being benched in favor of second-year QB Aidan O’Connell against the Panthers. O’Connell went on to lead the Raiders on a 70-yard drive that ended with a touchdown.
After the game, Pierce said that he believed O’Connell could provide a spark while saying Minshew’s status as a starter would be considered.
“I think we’ve got to get with the players and just evaluate everything from yesterday first,” Pierce said.
Gardner Minshew joined the Raiders as a free agent ahead of the season, signing a two-year, $25 million deal. He ended up beating O’Connell for the starting gig in training camp and has actually played well.
Throughout the first three weeks, Minshew is among the top five most accurate quarterbacks with 73.7% pass completion while having 747 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three picks.
