Raiders Trade Pitch Lands 43,000-Yard QB to Replace Gardner Minshew

Man, what a difference a week makes, huh?

The Las Vegas Raiders and QB Gardner Minshew II were riding high after going on the road and upsetting the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. However, after a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers at home that dropped the Raiders to 1-2 on the season, Minshew is firmly on the hot seat.

That was the opinion of both Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN when they tackled the topic of the next NFL quarterback likely to hit the bench in a joint column published on Wednesday, September 25.

"The Raiders played a lousy game and lost to the Panthers on Sunday, and coach Antonio Pierce was clearly not happy afterward," Graziano wrote. "I'm not saying Minshew was one of the guys Pierce was accusing of making " business decisions " in that game, but he is 24th in QBR (44.1) through three weeks. We often see teams make a change at starting QB just to shake things up, even when it's not all the quarterback's fault. I wouldn't be surprised to see [Aidan] O'Connell starting soon."

Fowler echoed Graziano's sentiments in the following paragraph.

"The heat is squarely on Minshew, but his Week 2 upset of Baltimore might be enough to buy him another week," Fowler said. "Still, it's important to remember that some with the Raiders thought O'Connell had a slight edge coming out of offseason workouts/minicamp, and neither quarterback truly separated himself in the preseason."

Paul Gutierrez of ESPN subsequently reported that Minshew will get the nod against the Cleveland Browns in Las Vegas this weekend. However, he's clearly on a short leash and now his No. 1 wide receiver Davante Adams is on the injury report with a hamstring strain that limited him in practice Thursday.

O'Connell was okay as a rookie in 2023, but he couldn't even beat out Minshew for the starting role. As such, it is far from outside the realm of possibility that the Raiders will look to land a better option at QB via the trade market -- even if that player is just a bridge to their future at the position (as of yet unknown).

One top candidate for the job could be Pittsburgh Steelers backup QB Russell Wilson .

The Steelers tapped Wilson as their starter ahead of the season, though a calf injury derailed that plan and Wilson is still trying to get healthy. Meanwhile, Justin Fields is undefeated through three weeks and appears to have solidified the No. 1 job.

Wilson costs just $1.2 million in 2024, as the Denver Broncos are on the hook for nearly $38 million of Wilson's salary after cutting him this offseason. He is also an 8-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl ring and well north of 43,000 career passing yards , which makes him a vastly superior option to either Minshew or O'Connell.

None of this is to say that Wilson, who will soon turn 36 years old, is the future in Las Vegas. However, he could help the team compete in the AFC as it prepares to find a long-term answer under center either by way of the 2025 NFL draft, free agency next year or the trade market at some point down the road.