The Las Vegas Raiders had three quarterbacks play at some point in 2023, and this season they are hoping for more consistency at the position. The team kept Aidan O'Connell, who played 11 games last season, and released Jimmy Garoppolo, who played in seven games. They also rostered veteran Brian Hoyer, who drew one start last season.
This offseason, the Raiders signed veteran Gardner Minshew, who is competing with O'Connell for the starting position. Neither has started for a team for an entire season, but both get the chance to change that this year.
The team still hasn't made a decision on who will be throwing passes, but we do know who will be catching many of them. Davante Adams is entering his third year in Vegas and has led the team in receptions both years, as the Raiders saw a revolving door of quarterbacks.
Adams says he does not have a strong feeling on who he wants behind center, but does note some characteristics he wants his offensive leader to possess.
"I don't have a preference other than the fact that I want somebody that's confident and ready to go when it's time to do it," Adams said on Fox Sports 1. "Whoever that is, that's who I want throwing the ball."
Adams says he wants "whoever's gonna look the best, when it's live bullets." He did feel this is O'Connell's job to lose.
"I think right now, if I had to say, I think Aidan has the job because, you know, obviously he was here before and that's the way that it was," Adams said. "He was running with the ones (starters) more, and until Gardner comes in and takes the job away from him, I think it's Aidan's job right now. He doing what he's got to to do to hold onto it. We still gotta keep working and do what we gotta do to get better."
Head coach Antonio Pierce has said in the past that O'Connell "earned the right" to compete for the starting job and "earned the right to go out there and get the first snap."
Both quarterbacks have shown they have potential, but each still has a lot to prove in the league. Whoever does win the job will likely lean heavily on Adams, considering his dominance. Adams finished in the top 10 in the NFL in receptions (103) and in the top 20 in receiving yards (1,144) last season.
