The Las Vegas Raiders franchise nearly got injected with some excitement with the rumors that they were going to trade for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. However the news dropped that Stafford signed a new contract with the Rams and is saying put.
That means the Raiders have to reconsider their options at quarterback again. In the meantime, it was clear that Desmond Ridder wasn’t going to be in the running to start next season. He was a restricted free agent so the Raiders could’ve tendered him but according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team has informed him that they won’t be doing that and he’ll be able to join free agency.
This effectively ends Ridder’s time in Las Vegas. He was signed in the middle of last season following injuries to Aidan O’Connell and Garnder Minshew. He had the chance to start one game but struggled. He should be able to land with another team but he’s likely looking at a return to a practice squad at the start of the 2025 season.
3 QBs Emerge as Raiders Options
Now that Stafford isn’t an option, the Raiders have to pivot. Either Minshew or O’Connell could be on the roster next season but it’s hard to imagine they’d be considered for the starting job.
Las Vegas could look to the draft but this is a weak quarterback class so a veteran might be their only option. ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Raiders will consider Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Sam Darnold. Fields is likely the cheapest of the three while Darnold will be the most expensive. Wilson will be somewhere in the middle but he also has the least upside.
John Spytek Talks Vision for Raiders
The Raiders have a new front office and coaching staff in place. The team has hired many different regimes over the last two decades, all of which have failed. The Raiders have to hope that general manager John Spytek can finally provide a long-term solution in the front offense.
He expressed his vision for the team at the 2025 NFL scouting combine.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t start with compete. That’s been his central thing. But I think we’re going to have a lot of positive energy,” Spytek said during his Feb. 25 press conference. “The guys that love to compete and play with passion are going to have a chance at our place. And the guys that maybe don’t have that love of the game, they like it, it’s a means to an end, there probably won’t be as many places or spaces for them at our place. I think we want to set the tone with our film. When people watch a week or two out for our games coming, like they want to know like this is going to be a battle, this is going to be physical, this is going to be old school football, and are we made for this? I mean, that’s what ultimately this game comes down to. I think, like am I willing to play harder longer than the guy lining up across from, the team lining up across from me? And if you’re not, then I want to be the space that that’s where the Raiders live in, and that’s served me well over my career.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders Cut Ties With Vet QB Ahead of Free Agency appeared first on Heavy Sports.