The Las Vegas Raiders might not have many appealing quarterback options this offseason. Opinions on Shedeur Sanders aren’t as high as they once were and Cam Ward will likely be drafted before the Raiders pick.
The team got turned down by Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold is the most appealing free agent, but he’ll cost a lot of money. The Raiders do need to shake up their quarterback room from last season but their options may be limited.
Luckily, new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has coached a number of quarterbacks at the college level who are now in the NFL. One player who hasn’t been talked about as a big trade target is Cleveland Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
While he’s shown little to indicate that he’s a starting-level NFL quarterback, Kelly coached him for five years at UCLA. The Raiders likely won’t find a quarterback with more experience working under Kelly. Zac Jackson of The Athletic pitched a trade that would send Thompson-Robinson to the Raiders for a conditional seventh-round pick or a backup player.
“Here’s an idea: The Browns trade Dorian Thompson-Robinson to the Raiders for a conditional seventh-round pick or a backup player at another position,” Jackson wrote in a March 3 column. “Thompson-Robinson is from Las Vegas and played at UCLA under Chip Kelly, the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator.”
Thompson-Robinson Would Still Likely Be a Backup
A Thompson-Robinson addition actually makes a ton of sense for the Raiders. He knows Kelly’s offense very well and could be a valuable resource for the coach. However, the team couldn’t go into the 2025 regular season with him as a starting quarterback.
Thompson-Robinson has played in 15 games over his career and has thrown one touchdown to 10 interceptions. There was an opportunity to show what he could do for the Browns last season but they eventually played Jameis Winston over him.
Thompson-Robinson’s athletic ability makes him intriguing as a dual-threat quarterback but he has proven he can protect the ball. Perhaps a reunion with Kelly is what he needs to unlock his potential but he’d be looking at a backup job in 2025 at best.
Other QBs With Kelly Connections
If Kelly wants a quarterback who he knows, there will be no shortage of options. Thompson-Robinson could be released this offseason and would be easy to sign. Marcus Mariota worked with Kelly at Oregon back in the day and he’s a free agent.
There’s also Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who is coming into the draft. That’s not to mention Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who spent some time with Kelly at UCLA.
Kelly could go with an older veteran, a younger veteran or a rookie. He has a lot of options this offseason. None of these names are likely to be the Raiders’ starter in 2025 but they all could be valuable backups who help the rest of the offense learn the system. Las Vegas’ quarterback room could end up looking completely different this season. Gardner Minshew will almost certainly be let go and Aidan O’Connell’s roster spot isn’t guaranteed.
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