Cut or Keep: Quarterback Gardner Minshew

Exploring the pros and cons of the Las Vegas Raiders cutting or keeping the veteran signal caller

Much ado about Gardner Minshew II.

Look up potential cuts for all 32 teams and you’ll find the veteran quarterback atop many of lists for the Las Vegas Raiders to axe this offseason.

There’s merit to Minshew being the most readily identifiable cuttable Raider.

The 28-year-old was an abject failure for the Silver & Black after inking a two-year, $25 million contract ($15 million guaranteed including a $6 million signing bonus) last offseason.

Minshew and Aidan O’Connell engaged in an anticlimactic competition for the starting quarterback role under then-head coach Antonio Pierce and, at times over the course of practices and preseason games, the lackluster performance from the two made it seem like neither one wanted the signal caller role under then-offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

It got to the point where even Pierce dropped this jewel of a quote when asked about the quarterback competition: “I wish it had ended well for both gentlemen, and it just didn’t.”

Pierce named Minshew the starter and instead of Minshew Mania or Minshew Magic, it was Minshew Tragic for Las Vegas. Playing in 10 games and starting nine, the Raiders compiled a 2-7 win-loss mark with the veteran at the helm of the offense as he threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) with 2,013 yards, a 66.3 completion percentage, absorbing 29 sacks and breaking his collarbone to end his year in the 29-19 Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos.

With all that above digested, let’s look at the pros and cons of cutting or keeping Minshew. He could be a salary cut or kept as veteran insurance — it’s hard to say 100 percent which scenario is the eventual outcome.

The Pros

General manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll have several decisions to make in front of them as they build the Raiders to their liking and taking a long look at Minshew is one of them.

With a $14 million cap number for 2025 ($11.84 million base salary, $1.5 million signing bonus, and other bonuses), the performance-for-pay ratio from Minshew is absurd from the macro view.

Las Vegas can take the immediate cut route. That’ll cost the Raiders $7.66 million in dead cap this season while saving 6.34 million, according to Over The Cap. That jettison would also leave $3 million and $1.5 million in dead money in 2026 and 2027.

Las Vegas can also do a post-June 1 designation cut which will result in $4.66 million in dead money in 2025, $1.5 million in both 2026 and 2027. The immediate cap savings, however, is $9.34 million in space for 2025 and $1.5 million in 2026.

That all noted, the Raiders are one of the teams this offseason flush with salary space, though.

Freeing cap space and waxing Minshew gives the new Raiders regime a clean slate and undoes what the previous crew did in Las Vegas.

After all, Las Vegas already has a quarterback that can perform at or above Minshew’s level in O’Connell and he’s a much cheaper option ($1.03 million base salary for 2025 due to his rookie contract).

Heck, based off the 2024 plummeting performance, undrafted free agent Carter Bradley can likely muster similar production Minshew had and he’s under contract on a $960,000 pact for 2025.

The Cons

O’Connell and Bradley are the only other signal callers under contract at the moment with Minshew. Desmond Ridder, signed off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad, is a restricted free agent and those types tend to return to the teams they played with. Thus, he could return to the mix, too.

Jettisoning Minshew makes the Raiders quarterback situation more precarious than it already is. Las Vegas isn’t hurting for cap space and can carry Minshew’s contract without being a debilitating burden.

And — I may be alone in this but… — I’m curious if offensive coordinator Chip Kelly can draw more out of Minshew than the offensive staff did this past season.

Renowned for his play-calling prowess, Kelly’s quarterback history from the collegiate and professional levels isn’t a long list of premiere talent (I’ll explore this more in a future piece) as the play caller has essentially been a mid-whisperer.

And his next mid-revelation could just be Minshew.

Even in a season marred with grotesque performances, Minshew had solid performances in the Week 2 26-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens and in the Week 8 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He went 30 of 38 for 276 yards with one touchdown and interception against the Ravens and 24 of 30 for 209 yards and two touchdowns and zero picks against the Chiefs. He completed 78.95 and 80 percent of his passes on those two games, receptively.

The offensive staff Pierce assembled around him in his one-and-done season wasn’t exactly inspiring and instilling of confidence. The proof will be in the pudding when games are played, but I don’t think it’s outlandish to say the offensive staff Carroll built is more inspiring than the preceding crew.

Sure, there’s free agency mid-March. And the 2025 NFL Draft is going to ramp up this coming week with the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. That’s where we’ll get to see quarterback prospects get measured and participate in various drills — if they choose to do so.

Las Vegas could keep Minshew on the roster while free agency and the draft plays out and then decide to rid of him if the team adds talent at the quarterback position in either of those two primo offseason events.

Here’s another kicker: If the Raiders were to release Minshew and didn’t land a veteran option in March during free agency and drafted a prospect signal caller the following month, I don’t find O’Connell being the veteran sounding board in the quarterback room ideal.

But that’s just me, perhaps.