The Las Vegas Raiders are in a challenging situation with their quarterback options, currently limited to Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.
Although O’Connell seemed to have the advantage going into the season, the coaching staff chose to replace him with Minshew. Minshew led the Raiders to a 2-2 start but was benched in favor of O’Connell during the second half of their Week 5 loss to the Denver Broncos.
O’Connell struggled even more against Denver’s tough defense than Minshew, and now the Raiders sit at 2-3, with upcoming games against the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) and the Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) on the horizon.
While looking to the 2025 NFL draft seems like the most sensible approach to solve their quarterback issues, the Raiders might need to act sooner if they want to be competitive this season. With head coach Antonio Pierce’s determined attitude, they may seek a more immediate solution.
Las Vegas has options, both in free agency and trade opportunities. Ryan Tannehill is still available as a free agent, seeking a starting role, which the Raiders could potentially offer him.
However, a trade might be more plausible, and one potential target is Pittsburgh Steelers backup QB Russell Wilson. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently proposed that the Raiders could make a deal with the Steelers for Wilson.
“Wilson’s minimum salary would be attractive for teams, assuming he would waive his no-trade clause. And the Raiders were once on his desired list of destinations,” Fowler noted. “This is reaching a boiling point, as Wilson appears to be approaching full health and the Steelers haven’t shown an eagerness to move off [Justin] Fields just yet.”
Wilson’s current $39 million salary is mostly covered by the Broncos, except for $1.2 million in 2024, following his release after signing a five-year, $242.5 million contract. If the Raiders made the trade, they’d only be responsible for paying about $800,000 if they acquired Wilson soon.
The main challenge would be the trade compensation, but a Day 3 draft pick in 2025 might be enough for the Steelers to agree to a deal. With the NFL trade deadline set for November 5, the Raiders have a limited window to finalize any moves.
