As camp nears end, Raiders still waiting for QB to step up

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew have yet to seize on their chances to take charge of the Raiders’ quarterback battle, much to the chagrin of coach Antonio Pierce.

Minshew stacked together three solid practices last week to seemingly nudge ahead of O’Connell, but the interception he threw Saturday shortened his lead.

Then, when O’Connell had an opportunity Monday to take advantage of Minshew’s inconsistent performance, he failed to do so.

It doesn’t mean the Raiders are back to square one at quarterback. But what looked like a sizable lead for Minshew through most of Saturday’s scrimmage wasn’t as wide by the end of it.

Whatever edge Minshew has over O’Connell is less about what Minshew did Monday and more about what O’Connell didn’t do.

“Somebody has to step up,” Pierce said Monday.

Take care of the ball

Pierce isn’t looking for perfection. But like any coach, he emphasizes taking care of the ball. And in a competition that might be decided by the slightest of margins, the last thing O’Connell or Minshew can afford to do is be careless with the football.

It didn’t wipe out all the good Minshew did last week, including an otherwise solid scrimmage Saturday in which he clearly outplayed O’Connell.

“Gardner’s had several days now where he’s made plays,” Pierce said. “But then there’s also some turnovers that show up that we don’t want to have happen.”

In Monday’s nonpadded practice, both quarterbacks struggled with accuracy in 11-on-11 situations. O’Connell surged late in the workout, connecting with Kristian Wilkerson and Trey Tucker on two 20-yard gains. But his final pass of the session fell incomplete in the red zone, denying the Raiders potential points.

Minshew, who worked mostly with and against second-teamers Monday, never found a consistent rhythm. He closed the practice with two straight scramble runs and a quarterback sneak that was ruled a touchdown. The plays he made with his legs, an element he holds an edge over the less mobile O’Connell, were notable. But the Raiders would rather have seen him making plays with his arm.

Who starts Saturday?

Both quarterbacks will play Saturday when the Raiders open their three-game preseason schedule at Minnesota. It’s probably ill-advised to read too much into which quarterback gets the starting nod, but it might not be meaningless, either.

Going back to the start of the offseason program, O’Connell took the first snap to begin each phase. That included lining up with the starting offense to begin training camp.

Pierce said O’Connell’s performance in the final nine games of last season earned him that right. It has been a steady rotation ever since, with O’Connell and Minshew alternating as the starting quarterback to begin each practice. It has ensured that both candidates are getting an equal amount of reps with the first-team offense.

That doesn’t mean O’Connell will start Saturday. As Pierce was quick to point out Monday, “I said first snap of the offseason. That was my statement.”

Pierce downplayed the significance of who takes the first snap.

“Both quarterbacks are going to play a legit quarter,” he said. “Who goes out first and who goes out second really doesn’t matter.”

The Raiders will use the rest of the week to make their decision.

“We still got two more training camp practices, then we got Wednesday, Thursday, and that’s when we’ll start looking at what we want to do game-wise,” Pierce said.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X