The NFL new year is only weeks away and the for the Raiders there will be no bigger decisions in 2025 than those that involve the quarterback room.
The expectation is that the Raiders will cast a wide net at quarterback in the months ahead and they are almost certain to sign or trade for a veteran quarterback within the next month.
One QB option that might be on the table is Aaron Rodgers and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore believes Rodgers, who happens to be one of the league’s most polarizing players, would be a good fit for the Raiders.
On his weekday Raider Nation Radio show, Bonsignore told his co-hosts on the Morning Tailgate last week that he doesn’t buy into some of the negative narratives around Rodgers over the last few years of his career.
“It would be interesting, because I think that in a lot of ways, he does fit what the Raiders need,” Bonsignore said of Rodgers potentially joining the Raiders. “The timing of it is really critical. It can’t be anything more than two years, right? And you would definitely need to have your replacement in mind or at least in place.”
“The notion that he’s going to come in here and be the diva that breaks the culture, I don’t buy into it because there’s no real evidence of that happening. Whatever happened with the Jets, I think that was even above and as much as money as he was making, kind of above and beyond his pay scale,” Bonsignore continued.
“To me, you create a foundation by winning and if he can help, and I believe that he could, help this team win football games for however long he’s here, that’s establishing a foundation. That’s, I think, what Pete Carroll wants to do. There’s going to be all the messaging, compete, there’s going to be the buy-in, there’s going to be how you need to conduct yourself, all of those things. But to set the firmest of foundations, you got to start having success on the field. I think of all the quarterbacks that are out there, he probably gives them the best chance to do that right off the bat.”
The other veteran quarterback that seems to have the attention of the Raiders is Sam Darnold, who ESPN’s Adam Schefter has been linking to Las Vegas for two weeks.
“I think the Raiders are going to make a play for Sam Darnold,” Schefter said on the Pat McAfee Show last week. “I think Sam Darnold is a candidate to be the Raiders quarterback. Let’s see if Minnesota lets him go or not. Let’s see if that works out with Darnold winding up in Vegas.”
Prior to that statement, Schefter made a similar comment around Darnold and the Silver & Black on ESPN’s NFL Countdown.
”One team that I would watch with Sam Darnold moving forward would be the Las Vegas Raiders,” Schefter said on Sunday. “I think at some point and time they’re going to have some interest in trying to bring Sam Darnold to Las Vegas. We’ll see if they can make that happen.”
As Schefter pointed out, the Vikings are still a possibility for Darnold and if he re-signs in Minnesota there could be a path to J.J. McCarthy for any quarterback-needy teams willing to give up a first-round pick or two for last year’s 10th-overall pick.
For what it’s worth, Schefter also commented on the future of Aaron Rodgers, and he believes the 41-year-old quarterback will want to play another year.
Schefter’s full comments on Rodgers and Darnold can be viewed in the video below as the Raiders could eventually be a team to watch for both.
x: @raidersbeat
I find Rodgers repulsive, he’s the last person I want in Silver and Black.
I don’t think either one of these guys is the Raider QB. Rodgers will likely retire once he sees how little response he gets. Unlike Belechek, he can’t go running off to college. Maybe the Colts? The Titans are a mess, you can never tell what they’re thinking. Darnold will re-up with the Vikings, word is McCarthy won’t be ready opening day. Unless someone takes the bait and gives him top end starter money. He should stay put. I’ve been watching him since his SC days and he has to have an ideal situation, great pocket, above average receivers and have a coach holding his hand.
No way do not bring him to Vegas. Big Mistake
His playing days are behind him. Your performance and personality and being injury prone is not good for LV. Stay away maybe retiring to your black hole would be best. Go fleece another team.
Rodgers is washed up, please don’t make that mistake to bring him to Las Vegas. It would be a disaster to bring him in.