As they returned from their bye week, many assumed the Las Vegas Raiders may be ready to make a move at quarterback.
But as it turns out, that’s not the case, with Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce announcing that Gardner Minshew will remain Las Vegas’ starter for its Week 11 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
“This week, I felt like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to move forward,” Pierce said, according to the Las Vegas Sun. “He has every opportunity to go out there and lead us to a win.”
Pierce’s decision to stick with Minshew as his team’s starter comes as somewhat of a surprise, as the Raiders made several changes aimed at fixing their offense following a 41-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals heading into their bye week. Most notably, Las Vegas fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, with passing game coordinator Scott Turner taking over the position on an interim basis.
As for the quarterback position, the 2-7 Raiders have juggled Minshew and Aidan O’Connell with the veteran starting seven games and the second-year Purdue product starting two. Desmond Ridder has also received playing time at quarterback for Las Vegas, including in its Week 9 loss to the Bengals, in which he completed 11 of 16 pass attempts for 74 yards and a touchdown.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.