Las Vegas, Nevada
Former WSU Starting Quarterback Gardner Minshew II has earned himself another chance to start in the NFL. On Aug. 18, it was announced by Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach, that Minshew would be starting Week One against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Minshew landed a two-year contract with the Raiders on March 14 worth up to $25 million, with $15 million guaranteed. He competed with second-year player Aidan O’Connell and ultimately won the job after a strong preseason.

“I think we both put together a great body of work, played some great ball and left it up to Coach to make a hard decision,” Minshew said after the Raiders preseason game on Aug. 17.

The opportunity comes after a strong 2023 season. Minshew came off the bench for the Colts after rookie signal caller Anthony Richardson’s season ended with an injury. He stepped into a leading role for Indianapolis, tossing 15 touchdowns and leading his team to a 7-6 record. He completed 62.2% of his passes and compiled a QB rating of 84.6.

This marks the second time in his six-year career that Minshew will start Week One. He previously got the nod in 2020 for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 28-year-old will have his work cut out for him in Las Vegas, as the Raiders have managed only one winning season in the past seven years. The Raiders odds are currently +950 to win the west and are favored to finish in third, according to Vegasinsider.com. Minshew, however, looks on the bright side.

“I’m super optimistic about what we’re going to be able to do as a team this year and just looking forward to this year, in general.”

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