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The 2024 NFL Draft became the first ever with six quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks, which left the Las Vegas Raiders, who had pick No. 13, hung out to dry.
After two preseason games and the team’s entire offseason program, head coach Antonio Pierce will make the decision to name either journeyman Gardner Minshew, who they signed to a two-year, $25 million deal with $15 million guaranteed this offseason, or 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell as the Raiders’ starting quarterback to begin the 2024 regular season.
“Yeah, we’ve seen enough reps,” Pierce said postgame Saturday. “Two games, like we talked about. Our guys are not playing in the third preseason game, our starters, so we’ll sleep on it and make a decision in the next couple days.”
Minshew started the Raiders’ home game against Dallas, a 27-12 defeat, and he played four drives, which resulted in a turnover on downs, a 29-yard made field goal, a punt and a turnover on downs. He threw for 95 yards on 10 of 21 passing.
O’Connell came off the bench in the second quarter, and he led four possessions. They resulted in a 27-yard field goal, a punt, a five-yard touchdown pass to tight end Harrison Bryant (incompletion on the two-point conversion attempt) and a 69-yard interception return touchdown for the Cowboys.
O’Connell’s touchdown pass doesn’t outweigh his 69-yard pick six to Dallas defensive back Kemon Hall in the eyes of his head coach.
“I mean, everything,” Pierce said when asked how the pick six weighs into Pierce’s evaluation versus O’Connell’s drive that ended with a touchdown. “You can’t take the good and not take the bad. Wish it went well for both gentlemen. It just didn’t. We’ll look at it, and we’ll evaluate. They both had opportunities. Aidan had 20 attempts and Minshew had 21, so about as balanced as we can get it. We’ll look at it. Obviously you saw what our plan was tonight — throw the ball…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/raiders-qb-battle-decision-on-starter-between-gardner-minshew-aidan-oconnell-coming-in-next-couple-days/
Author : Garrett Podell
Publish date : 2024-08-18 16:18:48
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