It’s official: Raiders coach Antonio Pierce named Gardner Minshew as the team’s starting quarterback on Sunday morning.
The decision came as a surprise to some, especially after Minshew’s lackluster performance in Saturday’s preseason loss to the Dallas Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium. Lucky for Minshew, second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell threw a interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that overshadowed Minshew's rough night.
O’Connell had been efficient and precise before the mistake, but it single-handedly turned a competitive night into a lopsided score. Minshew completed 10 of 21 first-half passes for 95 yards while O'Connell completed 14 of 20 second-half passes for 96 yards.
Still, Pierce wasn’t willing to say last night decided it.
“A lot of things went into it,” Pierce said. “It wasn't based off the last night.
"There's a lot of factors, so we feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that's what we're going with. We support him, our team is behind it, our staff is behind it, organization is behind it."
Minshew, who played college ball at Washington State, was signed as a free agent in March from the Indianapolis Colts after he recorded career highs with 13 starts and 3,304 passing yards. The Raiders are his fourth NFL team in five seasons, which include 37 starts.
His best season as a pro came as a rookie in Jacksonville, where he burst onto the scene with 21 passing touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Minshew was a college journeyman and played one season at Washington State, but the pirate ship mentality that was nurtured under the late Mike Leach in his time there has become his defining trait as an NFL player. Before that, he played two seasons at East Carolina after a year at Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Because of this, aesthetically, he might be the most fitting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. Athletically, maybe not.