Raiders assistant GM 'excited' by QB battle between Minshew, O'Connell
The Raiders didn't add high-profile passers this offseason, but Las Vegas assistant general manager Champ Kelly can't wait to see Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell compete for the team's starting job under center.
"The work that Aidan did last season toward the end of the year, we're excited about his growth and what he's going to be able to do Year 2, but also excited about this competition. ... It's going to be a really good competition." Kelly said Wednesday about the Raiders' quarterback situation.
Las Vegas currently rosters four quarterbacks. In addition to Minshew and O'Connell, Anthony Brown and undrafted rookie Carter Bradley are the other QB options.
Minshew joined the Raiders this offseason on a two-year, $25-million deal after spending the 2023 campaign with the Indianapolis Colts. He passed for a career-high 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions while starting 13 games for Indy after starter Anthony Richardson went down with a season-ending injury. The 27-year-old Minshew - who has 37 NFL starts under his belt - earned his first Pro Bowl nod as an alternate in 2023.
Meanwhile, O'Connell posted 12 passing touchdowns to seven interceptions in 10 starts as a fourth-round rookie last year. The Raiders went 5-5 with him under center.
Las Vegas was linked to multiple quarterback prospects prior to last month's draft, but the team didn't make any trades and took tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13. A record six QBs were selected in the top 12, including the first three picks. Raiders general manager Tom Telesco recently said that drafting a quarterback "didn't line up" for his team.
"(Bowers') position is tight end, but we saw him as a playmaker, an offensive weapon," Kelly said of the team's 2024 first-round pick on Wednesday. "There is by no means any pressure for him to come in and attain any numbers. ... He's a fun piece to have because it's going to be interesting to see how defenses are going to deploy when he's on the football field."
Kelly took over as the Raiders' interim general manager in November and kept that role until the team hired Telesco in January.