Minshew, O’Connell settle in for Raiders QB competition with solid practice debuts

Antonio Pierce preached patience with the Raiders’ quarterback competition following minicamp in June, and it’s the same message he’s imparting at the outset of training camp.  

A decision on whom the coach will declare the full-time starter between second-year incumbent Aidan O’Connell and veteran free-agent addition Gardner Minshew is not imminent. It may not even come until the week of the Raiders’ regular-season opener scheduled for Sept. 8 at the Los Angeles Chargers.

“There are going to be some days when Aidan looks better than Gardner,” Pierce said Tuesday as the Raiders reported for training camp. “There are going to be some days where Gardner looks better than Aidan. There are some days where they both look bad, some days they both look good to be honest. It will take its course while we’re here in Southern California.”

Wednesday morning’s first of 16 allotted preseason practices Pierce said he would use to make the decision went down as a day where they both looked good, albeit in a limited fashion.

The opening practice at Jack Hammett Sports Complex was light on full-team drills — and the Raiders won’t put pads on until next Tuesday — but neither Minshew nor O’Connell threw as much as an incompletion during a short stint against the starting defense at the end of the 90-minute session.

O’Connell took the first series and completed four short passes. Minshew then checked in and went 3-for-3 himself.

Second-year tight end Michael Mayer was the only player to catch a pass from each of the quarterback candidates during the period, potentially giving himself positive marks in his own quasi-competition for playing time with first-round rookie draft pick Brock Bowers.

“Guys will have enough opportunities to where they’ll get a solid evaluation,” receiver Davante Adams said afterwards. “I’m definitely watching at all times and seeing everything and learning how the ball comes out for Gardner vs. Aidan. All the quarterbacks and every position, I’ve got my antenna up for anything.”

Adams praised the way both O’Connell and Minshew are handling the competition, and how they seem to be battling to be at their own personal best rather than against each other.

There was no hostility or awkwardness evident between the two on the field, and there hasn’t been dating all the way back to organized team activities in May. On the contrary, they’re almost always encouraging each other when one checks in for the other and comparing notes when emergency quarterback options Anthony Brown or Carter Bradley come in.     

They both said that camaraderie extended to the meeting and locker rooms.  

 “That’s what we were talking about today after practice: Whoever is in at quarterback, no matter who’s on the field, it’s our responsibility to lead this team and lead this team to wins,” Minshew said.

Minshew doesn’t mind the uncertainty of when he’ll learn Pierce’s decision. He recounted how even during his senior year at Washington State in 2018, when he finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, then-coach Mike Leach never named him the starter.

Minshew was listed as an “or” option on the depth chart with two other teammates each week.

That was only after working his way up from having no Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers out of high school, the same position O’Connell found himself in a few years later. O’Connell then famously worked his way up from an eighth-string walk-on to starting quarterback at Purdue University.

 “Gardner is a guy who’s had to compete a lot throughout his career and I’m the same way,” O’Connell said. “Both guys, it’s not new to either of us, so I think it’s been fun to go back and forth, kind of talk about what we’re thinking and ultimately try to push each of us play our best football.”

Pierce said himself, general manager Tom Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy would ultimately convene to name the starting quarterback at some point. But the organization has also repeatedly shown that it values Adams’ opinion on big decisions, and it would be foolish to assume the receiver won’t have any say.

For now, Adams is endorsing both. He’s gotten more on-field repetitions with O’Connell, but spoke highly of watching film and going over the playbook with Minshew.

Adams even compared his relationship with Minshew to how he bonded with former quarterback and close friend Aaron Rodgers while with the Green Bay Packers.

Minshew and Adams did connect on one play against a scout team earlier in Wednesday’s initial training camp practice.

Although it may have been a soft opening to training camp, the Raiders must have been encouraged by their quarterbacks operating smoothly. That wasn’t the case in May and June when interceptions, underthrown balls and would-be sacks plagued practices.

Minshew may have held onto one ball at the end too long Wednesday and might have gotten sacked by Maxx Crosby if contact on quarterbacks was permitted, so score Day 1 ever so slightly in favor of O’Connell.    

But there’s a long way to go. No one is any rush to set the name of the starting quarterback in stone; they’re just happy both are trending in the right direction.

“Coaches evaluate who is looking the best and at what point and we’ll go from there,” Adams said. “We’re in a really good place right now, and I’m excited. I think today was a good day to start off on.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or