The Las Vegas Raiders have filled two of their biggest holes with the hiring of Pete Carroll as head coach and John Spyek as general manager. However, they still have a major need at quarterback.
The team could look to address that need in the draft but may also want to add a veteran who is familiar with Carroll. Jeff Howe of The Athletic believes that Russell Wilson will be in the mix for the Raiders.
“With Pete Carroll taking over the Raiders, one name I’ve heard to watch at QB: Russell Wilson,” Howe wrote in a Jan. 24 X post. “They’ve mended fences, per source, and Wilson could be a stopgap while the Raiders develop a long-term answer.”
Wilson and Carroll had a rocky divorce in 2021 when the quarterback was traded to the Denver Broncos. Prior to that, the two won a Super Bowl together for eight out of 10 seasons. Wilson was also a Pro Bowler in nine of those 10 seasons.
He was the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers and was 6-5 in those starts. He threw 16 touchdowns to five interceptions but wasn’t as effective as he was in the past. Wilson’s career has gone downhill since leaving Carroll so perhaps a reunion could be good for both sides.
Raiders Can’t Be All-in on Wilson
Wilson was once one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL but those days are behind him. He’s 36 now and hasn’t played well in recent years. Carroll was able to get the best out of Wilson but it remains to be seen if the quarterback still has that level of play in him.
At most, he should just be a stopgap option for the Raiders. Free agency happens before the draft so the team won’t know if they can get Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Adding a quarterback like Wilson could allow Las Vegas to hold off until a later round to draft somebody like Jaxson Dart or Jalen Milroe.
If the Raiders do add Wilson but then are able to draft Sanders or Ward, they may have to consider cutting him. That could be an issue but the team has to do whatever they can to upgrade their quarterback room.
Other QB Options for Raiders
The Raiders may want to go with less of a big name at quarterback ahead of the draft. That could make somebody like Jameis Winston or Justin Fields an option. If a rookie starts over them, that wouldn’t be much of a story.
The Raiders could also look at the trade market. It’s possible that Seattle might be interested in trading Geno Smith. That could be a reunion for Carroll, who was able to get to the playoffs with Smith as his starting quarterback.
Kirk Cousins may also become available. He hasn’t worked with Carroll before but would be an upgrade over what the Raiders have. In a perfect world, the team will be able to add a franchise quarterback in the draft but that’s not an easy thing to pull off. It’ll be interesting to see what Carroll and Spytek have cooked up this offseason.
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