Gardner Minshew of the Las Vegas Raiders season came to a crushing end on Sunday, when he broke his collarbone in a 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. Minshew was injured late in the fourth quarter, when he was sacked by Denver linebacker Cody Barton. Minshew clutched his arm and battled back tears as he left the field and headed to the locker room.
#Raiders QB Gardner Minshew has a broken collarbone and is out for the season, per multiple reports pic.twitter.com/xPUQ7EoRgc
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 25, 2024
After the game, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce told reporters that it wasn’t good, saying that it doesn’t look good and Raiders fell to 2-9 on the season. Minshew has 2,013 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on the season.
Quarterback Depth After Gardner Minshew
It leaves the Raiders in dire straits in terms of who will be their quarterback. Aidan O’Connell, sidelined by a thumb injury since Week 5, is back practicing but probably isn’t available for Friday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Meanwhile, Desmond Ridder, a midseason addition to Las Vegas’ practice squad, who finished out the game after Minshew, and Carter Bradley, who has not yet taken an NFL snap, represent the team while it waits.
Ridder did little in place of Minshew late in Sunday’s game as he went 5 of 10 for 64 yards with an interception and lost a fumble on his first series. Ridder said,
“I’ve been here almost a month now. I feel comfortable with the offense. I’m ready to go, so whatever the situation may be, it’s not up to me, it’s up to the higher power, but I’m ready for any situation may be.”
The injury, coming on the tail end of a tumultuous season in which Minshew was up and down, a loose cannon threatening to blow up every week or come crashing back to earth, also ends Minshew’s most productive season. Initially, he had won the starting job in a tight preseason training camp battle with O’Connell before being swapped out for O’Connell. His absence now signals a move away from focus for the Raiders as they compete for the NFL’s worst record and potentially a first-overall draft pick when they face the Chiefs on Sunday.
Also Read: Kansas City Chiefs Catch Massive Break Before Raiders Game
As the team prepares for a daunting matchup against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs, the Raiders face more questions than answers at the quarterback position.
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