Gardner Minshew signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency last month, and he told Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby that the Raiders were his top destination all along.
“It was my first option,” Minshew said on The Rush podcast. “When we were stacking it up, I think I was their first option. As soon as free agency started, we made the call and that was it. Couldn’t have been easier. I couldn’t have been more excited.”
Minshew will join a quarterback room that already includes Aidan O’Connell, who took over as the starter for Las Vegas midway through last season. There is also a chance that the Raiders take a quarterback in the NFL Draft this week, so Minshew may have to fight for playing time.
The 27-year-old spent the 2023 campaign with the Indianapolis Colts and ended up making 13 starts in place of an injured Anthony Richardson. During his time on the field, he threw for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 62.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 84.6 en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
Minshew, who played his collegiate football at Washington State, was originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
He spent the first two years of his career with the Jaguars and actually played very well, totaling 37 touchdowns and 11 picks.
Minshew then moved on to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he served as Jalen Hurts’ backup for a couple of seasons. He joined the Colts last offseason.
Now, Gardner Minshew is a member of the Raiders, and based on his history, he may very well end up making some starts in 2024.
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