The Las Vegas Raiders have struck out in a very public way for a second time this offseason. There was serious momentum building that the team would pull off a trade for Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The two sides go so far in talks that they agreed on contract details. However, the Rams announced on Friday that they were able to come to a deal with Stafford that will keep him in Los Angeles.
That means the Raiders will have to pivot at quarterback. Stafford would’ve been their best option but he’s also 37 and expensive. According to The Athletic, now that Stafford is not an option, the Raiders may prefer to go after a cheap veteran.
“There are members of the Raiders’ offensive coaching staff who prefer adding a proven veteran quarterback to taking a dice roll on a rookie quarterback, according to league sources,” The Athletic reported in a Feb. 28 column. “The 2025 draft class isn’t perceived to be deep at quarterback, and there’s a chance that the only options worth drafting in the first round will be gone by the time the Raiders are on the clock.
“If the Raiders don’t land Stafford, it’s unlikely that they’ll make a large financial commitment to another veteran quarterback who’s expected to be available this offseason, according to league sources. Las Vegas has three quarterbacks on its roster — Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew and Carter Bradley — but none of them have proven themselves to be a viable starter. Minshew will likely be released this offseason, so they’ll still need to make some sort of addition to the room.”
Which QB Could Make Sense for Raiders Now?
If the Raiders don’t want to spend big on a veteran quarterback, that would effectively rule out Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold as an option. Though it sounds like the team isn’t super high on the quarterback options in the draft this year, it could be the best path forward.
Russell Wilson is a cheap veteran who has worked with head coach Pete Carroll in the past but that also seems unlikely. Aaron Rodgers will be a free agent and should be cheap so he could make some sense. Regardless, the Raiders do need to draft a quarterback at some point no matter which veteran they sign.
Raiders Strike out Again
The Tom Brady factor was supposed to be a big deal for the Raiders. The new minority owner is one of the biggest names in sports and his voice should carry a lot of weight. However, he’s now 0-2 on big swings this offseason.
It’s no secret that he was pushing for the Raiders to hire Ben Johnson. He couldn’t close that deal as Johnson ultimately picked the Chicago Bears. Brady was also at the center of the Stafford rumors and that’s clearly not happening now.
Perhaps Brady will be able to swing impactful moves in the future but he’s off to a rough start. Granted, Stafford and Johnson were always going to be long shots. He may have a better chance of swinging some big moves in free agency this offseason.
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