It was previously reported that the Las Vegas Raiders were moving on from quarterback Gardner Minshew and they finally made it official. The team announced on March 12 that they’ve cut the veteran quarterback just a year after getting a two-year, $25 million contract.
While that news isn’t a surprise, what was interesting is that the Raiders cut Minshew with a failed physical designation. The quarterback suffered a broken collarbone during the season and he must still be recovering.
If Minshew can’t pass a physical, that may lead to him being unable to sign with a team right now. There will be a team that signs him at some point. He’s a valuable backup quarterback and a good guy to have in the locker room. He just may have to wait until he’s fully recovered.
The Raiders can finally close the door on the Minshew experiment. He was the team’s Week 1 starter in 2024 and it quickly became apparent that that was a mistake. He struggled to take care of the ball. He threw 10 interceptions and six fumbles in just 10 starts. He was eventually benched in favor of Aidan O’Connell before the broken collarbone ended his season. There should be plenty of teams interested in him once he recovers.
A reunion with the Philadelphia Eagles could make some sense following the Kenny Pickett trade.
Andre James Also Officially Released
Minshew wasn’t the only starter from last season that the Raiders officially released. They also announced that center Andre James is now off the roster.
James started 60 games across six seasons for the Raiders. He even got multiple contract extensions during his time with the team. However, he really struggled in 2024 and was eventually replaced by rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson.
With the former second-round pick out of Oregon likely being the future at center, the Raiders had no choice but to let James go. He’s got a ton of experience so he should be able to land on another roster before the start of the 2025 season. Whether or not a team will sign him with the plans of him being a starter remains to be seen.
Former QB Praises Raiders
The biggest move the Raiders will make this offseason is trading for quarterback Geno Smith. He’s going to be a major upgrade over what the team had in Minshew.
Smith has played behind some bad offensive lines in his career and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky believes the Raiders have an underrated group to protect the quarterback.
“I like Geno in Las Vegas,” Orlovsky said on the March 12 episode of the “Pat McAfee Show.” “Brock Bowers is really good. I think Las Vegas has okay wide receivers. Like, I am a big Jakobi Meyers guy. But they are going to have to add some pieces as well. The offensive line is a little better than I think the play at quarterback made you think. Geno was fantastic with a bad offensive line. But they need to add some pieces. I love the fact that he is with Chip Kelly. They need another starting offensive lineman or two. I think Geno gives this team a chance to just compete in a week-to-week basis for now.”
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