Antonio Pierce wants Raiders QBs to 'stop with the baby steps' in competition: What it means for Week 1

Antonio Pierce has refused to declare a front-runner in the Las Vegas Raiders ' quarterback competition, telling reporters he'll only name a starter " when it's obvious ." The head coach also appears to be growing impatient with the battle between Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew , saying this week his signal-callers need to "stop with the baby steps" and "grab the bull by the horns" to earn the No. 1 job.

"What I see is two guys competing," Pierce said, per Raiders.com . "I told them it's time to make that leap. Stop with the baby steps, somebody grab the bull by the horns and be the guy, and they're trying to do that. The competition is high. ... I think the key part about it is regardless of who's in, the offense is trying to be as efficient and as effective as possible. So, you've got the offensive line in there with those guys and you're trying to build that continuity with our wide receivers, and I think both quarterbacks are doing it."

What can we learn from Pierce's comments? For one, it is not yet "obvious" to the coach which quarterback deserves to be under center come Week 1. Which, frankly, feels more like an indictment of Minshew than O'Connell. Yes, Minshew is new to the team, still developing chemistry in the system. He's also significantly more experienced, boasting 37 career starts, including 13 for the competitive Indianapolis Colts in 2023 alone, hence the two-year, $25 million contract he commanded in free agency. That's not prototypical "starter money" by today's standards, but it's certainly not nothing; the Minnesota Vikings , for example, are currently paying Sam Darnold less to take the bulk of first-team training camp snaps over first-round pick J.J. McCarthy .

Preseason play could go a long way toward resolving this competition in Vegas. Until then, the fact Minshew's experience has yet to decisively bury O'Connell suggests the latter is the true favorite to be the Raiders' quarterback to open 2024. It also jibes with previous comments from Pierce and team leaders like star wide receiver Davante Adams , who've repeatedly talked up O'Connell's fortitude after the 2023 fourth-rounder fought through 10 starts as a rookie. At any rate, neither quarterback figures to enter the season with an especially long leash, which speaks to the bigger-picture questions surrounding the position in Las Vegas.