Entering the summer, Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew are fighting for the starting quarterback position with the Las Vegas Raiders. Although it’s unclear who will start, the team undoubtedly boasts one of the worst quarterback rooms in the NFL.

Actually, according to a recent report from Pro Football Focus, the Raiders have the worst quarterback room in the entire NFL. With the previous draft, there weren’t many options available, but Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport thinks the organization might give Justin Fields another look. He proposed a deal in which the Oakland Raiders sent Fields and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2025 third-round and sixth-round pick.

In a May 21 post, Davenport stated, “Aidan O’ Connell can talk up the opportunity he’s being given in Las Vegas, but the reality is that if his rookie season was any indication, he’s a low-ceiling option under center.” Though entertaining to watch, Gardner Minshew II is only a backup in the major leagues.

Fields would be a significant improvement at the most crucial position in the game if the Raiders are serious about competing in the AFC West this season. In the meanwhile, the 25-year-old can fetch the Steelers a lot more in return than they did for him.

The Las Vegas Raiders gave away their third-round pick; why?
Regretfully, there is almost no reason to this deal from Davenport. Given that the Steelers only acquired Fields for a conditional sixth-round pick, why would the Raiders forfeit a third-round pick to add him? The team could have added the quarterback for the same sum that Pittsburgh spent months ago if they had strong feelings about him.

It’s not as though Fields has demonstrated his superior value in any games yet. In addition, Luke Getsy, the offensive coordinator, is familiar with the quarterback from his two seasons directing plays for the Chicago Bears. Had he believed that Fields was a better quarterback than the Raiders now had, he probably would have pushed the organization to sign him months ago. The main reason Getsy was fired was Fields’ lack of progress when he was in Chicago.

If the Raiders had believed that Getsy, not Fields, was the issue in Chicago, they would not have appointed him offensive coordinator. When he becomes a free agent, he might make sense in Las Vegas, but the team already had an opportunity to trade for him and chose not to.

What PFF Said About The QB Room of The Las Vegas Raiders
Although Minshew and O’Connell have shown they are capable of being a starting quarterback, the NFL is overflowing with talented quarterbacks. There isn’t much athletic upside, which is the team’s main quarterback room problem.

Pro Football Focus’s John Kosko outlined the reasons why the Raiders’ quarterback room is the worst in the league.

In a May 13 essay, Kosko stated, “Unfortunately for the Raiders, they live in a division dominated by two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.” The Denver Broncos, who play in the same division, were vying for this position, but Las Vegas made virtually little progress toward creating more space for the 2024 campaign. The competition between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell for the starting spot doesn’t excite the fan base much because they haven’t seen a real threat in Vegas yet.