The Las Vegas Raiders’ nightmare season has taken another turn for the worst.
It was already difficult enough for the Raiders to lose to the Denver Broncos 29-19 on Sunday to extend their losing streak to seven games, but quarterback Gardner Minshew took a sack late in the fourth quarter that saw him exit the game with a shoulder injury.
Shortly after the game, the Raiders received the worst possible news: according to Ian Rapoport, Minshew had suffered a broken collarbone. With the injury, Minshew’s 2024 season is officially over.
The quarterback room has been a major question mark going into the season, and now it has devolved into a complete unknown. The one move that the Raiders made during the offseason at the position was bringing in Minshew, and Sunday’s loss saw that safety net collapse.
So what can the Raiders possibly do now?
One option that remains on the table is the return of Aidan O’Connell, who is eligible to be taken off injured reserve this week after suffering a broken thumb at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7. It would not be the first time O’Connell has been called upon to try and salvage the Raiders’ season, as he started ten games last season as a fourth-round rookie. That year, O’Connell threw 2,218 yards and 12 touchdowns, performing reasonably better than anticipated.
That said, O’Connell is still recovering from his injury and, with the Raiders on a short week of preparation for a Black Friday game against the Kansas City Chiefs, that could mean turning to mid-season acquisition Desmond Ridder. After being signed by the Raiders off of the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad in October, Ridder has appeared in three games so far this season. He certainly has draft pedigree as a 2022 third-round selection of the Atlanta Falcons, and he recorded 2,836 passing yards and 12 touchdowns for the Falcons last season. That said, ball security is a major issue for Ridder, as he threw 12 interceptions and fumbled the ball 12 times last season, and has already fumbled twice for the Raiders; for a team with a league-worst 22 turnovers, that is a terrifying thought.
Outside of those two, options are relatively limited. The Raiders could try what they did with Ridder and sign someone off of another team’s practice squad, or try and find a free agent that would be willing to take a month-long audition to reignite their NFL career.
The most high-profile option available would be former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, who was linked to the Raiders immediately after being released on Friday. While Jones reportedly has interest in joining a contender, it is hard to resist the opportunity that the Raiders now present. The only knock on the idea of Jones to the Raiders at this point would be how the organization considers the move: would it be to try and find another option for next season, or to save a season that cannot be saved?
Whatever the Raiders choose to do from this point forward, it is hard to imagine that the straits can get any more dire than they are now. In the eyes of the fans, the 2025 Draft and the arrival of the next presumed savior of the franchise cannot come soon enough.
