Raiders Expected To Cut Starter To Save $6.3 Million in Salary Cap

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Las Vegas Raiders QB Gardner Minshew.

When the Las Vegas Raiders named Gardner Minshew as their Week 1 starter, nobody expected him to be an All-Pro quarterback. However, he played much worse than anybody could’ve predicted.

He went 2-7 as a starter and threw nine touchdowns to 10 interceptions before an injury knocked him out for the season. Minshew’s best work has come when he’s been a backup so it’s unlikely the Raiders would consider him for the starting job next season.

In fact, there’s a good chance they’ll release him outright. The Bleacher Report Scouting Department ranked the most likely cut candidates for each team and Minshew was at the top for Las Vegas.

“The Raiders ended up firing general manager Tom Telesco after it initially looked like he was going to keep his job,” Bleacher Report wrote in a Jan. 20 column. “So it’s going to be hard to know what direction the roster will go until they decide on a new head coach and general manager. Still, it’s a pretty safe bet that whoever is in charge won’t have Gardner Minshew in the plan for the future.

“Minshew went 2-7 as the starter this season, throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9) and posting a miserable 38.3 QBR. Whether it’s through the draft or free agency, the Raiders feel destined to start over at the quarterback position, and cutting Minshew would save $6.3 million against the cap.”

Could Next Head Coach Want To Keep Gardner Minshew?

Minshew was a bad signing from former general manager Tom Telesco but he is no longer with the team. While the quarterback didn’t play well in 2024, he has played well in the past and does have value as a backup.

Considering the Raiders don’t have an obvious starter for the 2025 season, it might not be the worst idea to keep Minshew around as a backup. The team will have a new general manager and head coach soon and they could see some value in the quarterback. Whether or not he can stay with the team will depend on who the Raiders bring in to run the football operations.

How Will Raiders Address QB in Offseason

Regardless of what the Raiders do with Minshew, they are going to have some big decisions to make at quarterback in the offseason. Aidan O’Connell has shown flashes but he’s already 26 and has only played two seasons. His upside is very limited.

The best way to address the position will be in the draft but it remains to be seen if a promising prospect will fall to the Raiders at No. 6 in the first round. The free agent pool of quarterbacks isn’t great. Sam Darnold will be expensive, Russell Wilson hasn’t played well in years and Justin Fields is more of a runner than a thrower.

The Raiders may have to kick the issue to next year as the roster has a lot of needs outside of quarterback. It might be a better strategy to focus on fortifying the roster and getting it ready for a quarterback to come right in and have success quickly. Next year’s class of quarterbacks figures to be better and deeper than the current one.