Raiders' Pierce not ruling out QB change
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce left the door open for a possible quarterback change following the team's 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
"I think we've gotta get with the players and just evaluate everything from yesterday first," Pierce responded Monday when asked if Gardner Minshew was still the starter after Aidan O'Connell's late play Sunday, according to ESPN's Paul Gutierrez.
O'Connell entered the game late in the fourth quarter after Minshew threw an interception on the Raiders' previous drive. The second-year pro engineered a 13-play, 70-yard drive capped off with a touchdown pass to Tre Tucker.
Pierce explained that he inserted O'Connell into the game to see if it would "spark" the offense, per The Athletic's Vic Tafur.
Minshew beat out O'Connell over the summer to win the starting job to start the season. Through three starts, he's compiled a 1-2 record with three touchdowns, three interceptions, and 747 yards on a 73.7% completion rate.
A fourth-round pick in 2023, O'Connell started 10 games as a rookie, going 5-5 with 12 touchdowns to seven picks.
The Raiders host the Cleveland Browns in Week 4.