Gardner Minshew will continue as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders in their upcoming home game against the Cleveland Browns. A team source confirmed this decision, dismissing any serious discussions about making a change at the quarterback position.
This news comes after some speculation following Minshew’s performance in a recent loss to the Carolina Panthers, during which backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell led a promising touchdown drive. The news was first reported by NFL Network.
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce had sparked uncertainty about Minshew’s starting role during a press conference on Monday, following O’Connell’s brief but successful appearance in the Panthers game. O’Connell replaced Minshew late in the game and led a 70-yard scoring drive, completing 9 of 12 passes and finishing with an 8-yard touchdown.
Pierce, however, stopped short of committing to any changes at quarterback, stating that the team needed to evaluate the game fully before deciding on future lineups.
Minshew’s performance against the Panthers wasn’t poor, though. He threw for 214 yards, completing 18 of 28 passes with one touchdown and one interception. Despite O’Connell’s impressive late-game drive, Minshew has been the Raiders’ starter since training camp, where he won the position battle. Pierce had expressed a desire to give Minshew time to help the team start the season strong, and so far, the team seems committed to him.
Looking at the broader season, Minshew has performed well statistically. Through three games, he has completed 73.7% of his passes, accumulating 747 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. His passer rating of 92.4 ranks him 14th among quarterbacks with at least 70 attempts. These numbers underscore why the Raiders are staying with Minshew as their starting quarterback, even though O’Connell showed promise in his brief opportunity.
In other Raiders news, starting safety Marcus Epps was placed on injured reserve after suffering a non-contact knee injury during the Panthers game. Epps had 10 tackles in that game, bringing his season total to 19. To address his absence, the Raiders promoted cornerback Sam Webb from the practice squad to the active roster. This move highlights the team’s effort to fill a key gap in their defense heading into the game against the Browns.
