It was clear the Las Vegas Raiders were likely to move on from Gardner Minshew once the 2024 season ended. He didn’t play well and the team brought in a new front office and coaching staff.
The Raiders were finally able to officially release him once the new league year started but he wasn’t in free agency long. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Minshew has signed a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.
It makes sense that he’d go to a team where he’s going to be a backup. At this point, Minshew clearly does his best work when he’s not the starter. He’s had two opportunities to be a Week 1 starter and failed both times. The Chiefs will be a good spot for him to reset after a very trying season.
For Kansas City, they’ve also liked to have high-end backups even though Patrick Mahomes is as durable as they come. Minshew will give them the chance to stay competitive in games or drives that Mahomes isn’t able to play.
Jeremy Chinn Talks Raiders Signing
Once the new league year started, the Raiders were able to start announcing their roster signings. The biggest move they made was signing former Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Chinn. He explained what was appealing about joining the Raiders.
“I would say just hearing Coach Carroll’s plan, how he saw me featured in this defense and this team,” Chinn said during his March 13 press conference. “So, it was very intriguing for me.”
“[J]ust my skill set, and I mean, just being able to process a lot of different things throughout the defense,” he added on what he provides for a defense. “Being able to play close to the line scrimmage and also being able to play deep and kind of understand what the defense is supposed to look like in different spots.”
Lonnie Johnson Humbled to Join Raiders
Chinn wasn’t the only defensive back addition the Raiders made. The team also signed cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr. The former second-round pick has bounced around the NFL and is hoping he found a long-term home in Las Vegas.
He’s very excited about the opportunity to play for the Raiders in 2025.
“I’m just humbled to be here in that position,” Johnson said. “I’ve been playing special teams the past few years, and I’m not going to just throw that away or be shy from that. I’m going to continue to do that at a high level and then when they give me my opportunity to play defense, I’m going to capitalize this time for sure.”
“Playing special teams can be an energy spark for any team,” he added. “So, if I go out there the first play, get a big hit – I call it a boom hit, like if the crowd give one of them ‘Oohs’ out of the crowd – if you ever heard that, I probably hit somebody out there. But once you do that, you can spark the energy to the defense. They come out there, get a three-and-out, now we’ve got momentum rolling.”
Johnson won’t be a Week 1 starter but could have value as a depth piece.
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