The Las Vegas Raiders have been consistently disrespected and overlooked by the media this offseason. Running back Zamir White was rated among the worst in the league, and Robert Spillane was excluded from a top linebackers list despite having better statistics than nearly half those included.
No group has faced more disrespect than the Raiders’ quarterbacks. Pro Football Focus ranked the quarterback room, led by Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew, as the weakest in the league. Both quarterbacks have shown their viability for the Silver and Black heading into 2024, where they will compete for the QB1 spot.
In a Top 40 quarterbacks list by NBC’s Chris Simms, son of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms, Minshew was placed at No. 39, and O’Connell was omitted entirely.
Minshew’s stats are comparable to those of Trevor Lawrence, who Simms ranked No. 11. Lawrence has played 50 games, throwing 58 touchdown passes and 39 interceptions, while Minshew has played 49 games with 59 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions.
I highlighted this comparison back in May, noting that both Minshew and O’Connell deserve a chance. “Lawrence has 22 starts against teams that made the playoffs (excluding the 2023 NFL Playoffs) and a 7-15 record against those opponents, a winning percentage of .318. Minshew has 15 starts against playoff teams with a 5-10 record, a .333 winning percentage,” I wrote. “Lawrence has seven more starts against playoff teams than Minshew but has 10 more interceptions and only three more touchdowns.”