Gardner

Minshew II

Minshew’s left shoulder was driven into the ground hard while being sacked in the Raiders’ Week 12 loss to the Broncos. Minshew finishes 2024 with 2,013 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions and rushed 19 times for 58 yards. He is under contract through 2025. Minshew was replaced by backup Desmond Ridder but former starter Aidan O’Connell (right thumb) could reportedly be activated from injured reserve next week.

Minshew was sacked by a trio of Denver defenders late in the fourth quarter and appeared to be in significant pain. It appeared to be a left shoulder injury for Minshew, who was helped to the locker room. He had 230 yards, a touchdown, and an interceptions before exiting the game. Desmond Ridder replaced Minshew and immediately lost a fumble to the swarming Broncos defense. Ridder would represent a major downgrade for Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers if he’s forced to start in Week 13 against the Chiefs.

We’re beginning to think we’ll never get to see Desmond Ridder waste the Raiders’ time. Minshew went for 282, two touchdowns, and one pick on Sunday against a Dolphins team that seemed pathologically unable to guard Brock Bowers. The Broncos will be a tougher test, one that likely will make Minshew a bottom-tier QB2 at best in most Week 12 rankings.

Minshew game-managed his way to two field goals and a four-point deficit at halftime. The Dolphins started to pull away and Minshew initially looked capable of keeping up with a touchdown toss to Brock Bowers. The rookie did most of the work, catching the ball near the line of scrimmage before shedding a would-be tackler en route to a 23-yard score. Still, it was a solid drive for the offense that kept them in the game. Minshew again answered the call with another touchdown throw on the team’s next drive, this one another YAC-based completion to Ameer Abdullah. This is where the magic ended as Minshew threw a brutal interception on a possible miscommunication with Jakobi Meyers late in the fourth quarter, functionally ending the game. Minshew is still the Raiders’ best bet at quarterback, but that isn’t saying much. Head coach Antonio Pierce may still turn to Desmond Ridder for Vegas’s Week 12 matchup with Denver.

Even Pierce, who is fighting for his job and is currently losing the battle, isn’t desperate enough to turn to Desmond Ridder. The Raiders haven’t won a game since September and Minshew struggled in his most recent start, throwing for 124 scoreless yards versus the Bengals before being pulled for Ridder late in the game. Minshew is the best option for the fantasy outlooks of Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers but isn’t on the QB2 radar for Week 11.

Gardner Minshew saw himself benched for the second time this season in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who can be partly blamed for Minshew’s struggles, was dismissed following Sunday’s loss. There’s a lot for the Raiders to figure out heading into their Week 10 bye. Pierce is staring down the barrel of a one-and-done season as head coach if he’s unable to right the ship. There’s a good chance Desmond Ridder finds himself as the Raiders’ starter when the team returns in Week 11 against the Dolphins, but we wouldn’t expect him elevate the Raiders’ offense any more than Minshew or Aidan O’Connell did.

Minshew was benched half-way through the third quarter, with Desmond Ridder coming in for him. He finished his day with 10 completions for 124 yards behind an increasingly banged-up offensive line. Minshew was credited with a fumble on a botched handoff to WR DJ Turner, leading to the Bengals recovering deep in Raiders territory and an ensuing score. With Aidan O’Connell on injured reserve, Minshew’s benching indicates the second time he has fallen out of Antonio Pierce’s favor. We will see how the Raiders move forward with their quarterback situation, but Minshew’s prospects as an NFL starter took a hit.

Minshew plays with impressive moxie but is now up to five turnovers over the last two games. He and his struggling squad face a volatile Bengals defense in Week 9, making him QB2-viable for desperate managers in two-quarterback and superflex leagues. He cannot be started in typical 12-team leagues though.

Schefter notes that the quarterback is undergoing a second opinion Monday to confirm the diagnosis, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that the Raiders are placing the second-year signal-caller on injured reserve. The injury occurred during the Week 7 loss to the Rams, and he was replaced by Gardner Minshew; who was wholly ineffective after entering. Minshew will likely be the starter with O’Connell out, but don’t be surprised if the Raiders scour the wire considering how much Minshew has struggled.

Minshew gave his team no real chance to compete. Debates will be had as to whether Minshew’s fumble, which was returned for a 33-yard touchdown by Rams S Kamren Curl, or Minshew’s game-sealing, third interception was his worst play of the day. He is an unideal QB2 streamer against the Chiefs in Week 8.