Analyst predicts long-term quarterback strategy for Raiders

After a couple of seasons marred by inconsistency at the quarterback position, the Las Vegas Raiders made the decision to revamp the room this offseason.

Back in March, the Raiders made a trade with the Seattle Seahawks for quarterback Geno Smith. The following month, the team remained patient in the draft and selected North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller in the sixth round. Both have put together impressive training camps and preseasons so far, indicating that quarterback should not be a weakness this season.

However, the Raiders are still in need of a long-term plan at the position, and one analyst is confident they know what the Silver and Black will do.

A high-profile option in 2027 could be someone worth circling for the Raiders.

According to CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, the Raiders will feel comfortable rolling with Smith for 2025 and 2026, but that timeline gives them the opportunity to select Texas quarterback Arch Manning in 2027.

“Most likely, the Raiders will ride with Smith for 2025 and 2026, but will have a decision to make after that. In that final year of his deal in 2027, he has zero guaranteed dollars left, and the team could free up $39.5 million in cap space if they were to cut him during that offseason. And that just so happens to be the exact time they could pivot to the likes of Manning,” Sullivan wrote.

Last week, Arch’s grandfather and former New Orleans Saints legend Archie Manning warned teams looking to tank for the Texas quarterback this season that he will likely remain in school instead of declaring early for the 2026 NFL Draft.

It is understandable why the younger Manning would want to stay in college, as this will be his first season as a full-time starting quarterback. Last year, pundits such as Raiders minority owner Tom Brady suggested that the NFL has a quarterback development problem, starting young signal-callers before they are ready and not giving them enough time to grow into the role. With that in mind, Manning getting two years of starting experience would make himself more marketable to teams looking for an answer at the position in 2027.

Depending on how the Raiders fare over the next couple of seasons, they could very well find themselves in the running for Manning.