Gardner Minshew II Has Already Earned Respect in the Raiders' Locker Room

When a quarterback joins a new team, one of the biggest concerns is earning the respect of his new teammates.

While he will undoubtedly have to continue earning their respect as their teammate, veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew II is ahead of the curve. He gained respect from many of his new Las Vegas Raiders teammates while competing against them late last season with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Football is a game where respect is earned on the field, and often, some of the best competitors are not the biggest and best stars in the game; they are veterans like Minshew looking to prove they belong in the league. Last season, the Raiders hit the road to play Minshew and the Colts while they still had a slim chance of making the playoffs. It was a game the Raiders desperately needed and lost, partly because of Minshew's productive performance.

Minshew completed 15 of his 23 passes for 224 yards in that game. He would carve up a Raiders defense that had shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs the week before. Minshew finished the game with nearly a 123 quarterback rating, all but eliminating the Raiders from playoff contention. 

Not only did Minshew perform well against the Raiders, but he did so against their improved defense, which did everything it possibly could to stop Minshew and the Colts but was unsuccessful. Las Vegas’ defense ranked in the top 10 in multiple statistical categories when it played Minshew last season.

Minshew’s successful outing against the Raiders last season undoubtedly contributed to the team signing him to its roster this offseason to help improve its quarterback group. He has already proven to many players still on the team from last season that he belongs in the league and will fit in well with the team in the locker room.

The Raiders will have a competition for the starting quarterback position between current starting quarterback Aidan O’Connell and Minshew. Both players have earned respect within the locker room. Minshew may have earned respect in the locker room as a competitor; however, O’Connell has earned the respect of the entire locker room as their leader, which is a very different thing. 

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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