Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has his starting quarterback.
Gardner Minshew will start for the Raiders in Week 1 after spending training camp and the preseason competing with second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell for the job.
“A lot of things were taken into account,” Pierce told reporters, according to ESPN. “It wasn’t based on [solely] “There were a lot of factors. So we feel like Gardner offers us the best opportunity to get off to a quick start, and that’s what we chose. We support him, our team is behind us, our people are behind us, the organization is behind us.”
Minshew had started two games during the preseason, including Saturday’s loss to the Cowboys, and had completed 16 passes for 212 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
The Raiders are Minshew’s fourth team in his six NFL seasons after he signed a two-year, $25 million contract in March.
Pierce told reporters Sunday that part of the decision came from the experience Minshew, who played in Jacksonville, Philadelphia and Indianapolis, brings to the team.
“The operation, the process and everything we’ve seen in practice,” Pierce said. “Some of that has come through in games. There’s a lot of things we can improve on. I don’t think it’s a finished product here, but based on where we want to go in the first quarter of the season, we think Gardner gives us the best opportunity.”
O’Connell completed 21 of 29 passes for 172 yards in the preseason, while throwing a touchdown and an interception.
The second-year QB had forced his way into the starting role last season in November and had thrown eight touchdowns in the final four games of the 2023 campaign.
“Both of these gentlemen are professionals,” Pierce said. “The way they handled this competition really resonated throughout our building.”
