The Las Vegas Raiders signed quarterback Gardner Minshew in free agency to provide some competition for Aidan O’Connell, and head coach Antonio Pierce seemed pumped to add him.
While speaking to reporters at the NFL’s owner's meetings on Monday, Pierce said that Minshew’s influence goes beyond his play on the field.
“Aidan did a hell of a job last year, but like any other position on our team, we want to make that as competitive as possible,” Pierce said via the Raiders’ official YouTube account. “One thing about Gardner, as you’ve seen throughout his career, he finds a way. That’s going to make our room better. He’s been through a lot of adversity. You want that experience, as well, in there. So, to me, it was a good fit. It’s a culture fit. That’s a wild boy right there.”
Minshew spent the 2023 campaign with the Indianapolis Colts. He began the season as the backup quarterback but was pressed into starting duty after Anthony Richardson was knocked out for the year due to a shoulder injury.
In 13 starts, Minshew threw for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions, completing 62.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 84.6. He even made his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Washington State, was originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He spent the first couple of years of his career with the Jaguars, making 20 starts and accumulating an impressive 37 touchdowns to just 11 picks.
After Jacksonville drafted Trevor Lawrence, Minshew was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent two seasons as Jalen Hurts’ backup.
Minshew then made his way to the Colts last season before signing with the Raiders earlier this month.
We’ll see what type of opportunity Minshew gets in Las Vegas in 2024.
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