The Las Vegas Raiders came up just short in the Matthew Stafford sweepstakes, prompting a new plan at quarterback.
After Stafford met up with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady in Montana, rumors ran rampant about the possibility of the former Super Bowl winner taking his talents to Las Vegas. One drama-laden week and a reporter beef surrounding the issue later, and Stafford agreed to a restructured deal with the Los Angeles Rams. He will remain in California for 2025, while the Raiders are left scrambling for more options.
Fortunately, free agency and the draft holds a cornucopia of options, giving new head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek multiple routes they can take.
Options in free agency for the Raiders
The interest in Stafford confirms that the Raiders are open to bringing in a veteran at the position, at least in some capacity.
Sam Darnold currently stands out as the top quarterback available. The former third overall pick in 2018 rejuvenated his career with the Minnesota Vikings this past season, but a rough final stretch and the presence of J.J. McCarthy likely means he will hit the open market. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Baker Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million contract last offseason under similar circumstances, so Darnold will enter negotiations with that as a baseline.
Both of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterbacks from 2025 in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields project to be available, and both look like seamless fits in Carroll’s offense. Jameis Winston of the Cleveland Browns is another choice, as his penchant for big throws on the field draw as much attention as his engaging personality off of it. If the Raiders want a backup to add depth, Zach Wilson (Denver Broncos) and Marcus Mariota (Washington Commanders) have been previously linked to the team.
The Raiders have serious options at free agency, and one of them is bound to be headed to Las Vegas when free agency kicks off next week.
The Raiders met with several quarterbacks during the Combine last week
It was unsurprising to see the Raiders invest some time into the quarterback prospects performing at the NFL Combine.
According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur and Tashan Reed, the Raiders met with both of the top prospects at quarterback this year in Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. They also met with some later-round options in Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas’s Quinn Ewers, and Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart. Tafur and Reed did note that league sources mentioned the Raiders came away impressed with Milroe and Ewers after the quarterbacks practiced on Saturday, putting both on the table as developmental options.
“To me, that’s a hugely important part and may be the most important part, especially at quarterback,” Spytek said during his media availability at the combine. “We get a little bit caught up in how far they can throw it as opposed to how they think about it and how they process it and how they lead it.”
Spytek’s comments gave an insight on the Raiders’ thought process in scouting quarterbacks, and now they have more information to go off of as they find a long-term answer under center.
