The Las Vegas Raiders have focused more on moving on from players than signing a lot of free agents so far this offseason but signing Gardner Minshew is notable. Previously, Minshew went viral for a clip of him and defensive end Maxx Crosby.
When the Raiders played the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17 last season, Crosby continuously called Minshew “little a** boy” every time he’d get close to him. In his March 14 introductory press conference, Minshew had a lot to say about Crosby.
“He’s a big a** boy,” Minshew said in response to Crosby’s “little a** boy” comments during the season. “[Crosby’s] not as much fun to play against, but with him on your team, I absolutely love it. Excited to be with him, Christian [Wilkins] … some of the best s*** talkers I’ve been around in the NFL. To have them on our side and practice against them every day, it’s just gonna make me better.”
As Minshew noted, the Raiders also added defensive tackle Christian Wilkins this offseason so the team has a formidable duo on the defensive line. Practice should get pretty intense for Minshew, especially if he goes into training camp as the favorite to be the starting quarterback.
Gardner Minshew Praises Las Vegas Raiders Culture
Head coach Antonio Pierce has been a strong proponent of building a culture that promotes players having fun. It’s much different than the more rigid culture that former head coach Josh McDaniels was trying to cultivate.
Gardner Minshew has already been blown away by how much the Raiders are emphasizing that players be themselves.
“One of the first things I saw coming in here was ‘be you’ you know ‘be yourself’,” Minshew said. “Just have the confidence to do that is huge. I think when you have that confidence you can play at lot better and have a lot more fun … that’s a culture here that’s well established and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
It remains to be seen if this is a recipe that will lead to more wins but players certainly seem excited about playing in Las Vegas.
Gardner Minshew Is All About Winning
Gardner Minshew has played five seasons in the NFL but has never started in a playoff game. It remains to be seen if he’ll be the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2024 but he thinks the team is ready to win a lot of games.
“The first thing is, I want to be able to win,” Minshew told Raiders.com in a March 14 interview. “I feel like we have the tools here; we have the pieces here. To be a part of a winning culture with guys who are like-minded, who want to win, is all I can really ask for.
“I love the work. I love the hard practices. I love the s*** talking. That’s all stuff that I think is really fun and I’m excited to get going here.”
The Raiders went 8-9 last season and weren’t far out of making the playoffs despite having a coaching change in the middle of the season. With some stability at head coach, the team could be in the playoff mix if they add some more good pieces in the draft and free agency.
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