Raiders' Antonio Pierce: Minshew, O'Connell QB1 Decision Coming in 'Couple of Days'

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce expects to make his choice soon regarding who will open the 2024 NFL regular season as the starting quarterback.

Following Saturday's 27-12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Pierce told reporters he'd "sleep on it and make a decision in the next couple of days" between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell.

Minshew performed slightly better in Las Vegas' preseason opener, a 24-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He finished 6-of-12 for 117 yards and a touchdown while O'Connell went 7-of-9 for 76 yards.

The two passers' production was nearly identical on Saturday. Minshew was 10-of-21 for 95 yards and O'Connell was 14-of-20 for 96 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

If Pierce was hoping one quarterback would create some distance on the other, that hasn't really happened. And their preseason performances aside, neither has a clear advantage based on past reputation.

"I think everybody wants to see a player just take it and say, 'Hey, I'm your guy,'" Pierce said. "Obviously, probably not the case, so we're going to have to make a decision and we're going to live with it and we're going to support whoever that quarterback is for the Raiders going forward."

To some extent, arguing over who should start against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1 presupposes there's going to be any permanence with the outcome. The coaching staff won't want to play musical chairs every game, but it's safe to assume Las Vegas could cycle through O'Connell or Minshew at multiple points.

This is what the franchise signed up for when it didn't move aggressively in free agency or the NFL draft to bolster its QB room. The front office set the tone early when they handed Minshew a two-year, $25 million deal that included $15 million guaranteed.

Maybe the Raiders exceed expectations and push for a wild-card spot, but it looks like they're content to tread water for a season until they find a true long-term solution under center.