Las Vegas Raiders created a QB problem last offseason. Now Tom Brady may solve it — as an owner

Now that I think about it, strike the previous assessment. This plummet to an all-too-familiar depth didn’t start in October. It began last offseason, when the Raiders knew they had a lingering quarterback problem on their hands and answered it by signing journeyman Gardner Minshew II to a two-year, $25 million contract. It was a bridge starter deal in March that ultimately constructed a bridge to … nowhere. That is unless the ultimate plan was to groom O’Connell — a 2023 fourth-round draft pick with just enough talent to lose his starting job to Minshew — into something greater than anyone anticipated.

I don’t think that was the plan. I think the Raiders’ brass, including general manager Tom Telesco, believed Michael Penix Jr. would fall far enough in the 2024 draft to make his selection viable on their own draft board. What the front office didn’t anticipate was that Penix had a higher premium on him in other organizations, and that the 2024 pool of quarterbacks was exponentially better than

If we’re going to get brutally honest about the Raiders, we’d begin with Davis. But that’s a story for another time. We’ll get there at some point. Instead, let’s bypass Davis for the time being and point straight to that quarterback spot. Rather than dredge up why Las Vegas didn’t act more aggressively in what might turn out to be a, let’s accept that their top pick  is an immense mismatch cornerstone to build around. And let’s look at what the Raiders’ options are.

First, let’s clean up a little bit of reporting chaos surrounding the QB situation. There have been competing claims about whether or not Davis mandated the selection of a quarterback in the next NFL Draft. After speaking to a pair of sources inside the team, this is what I have been told: Davis wants some kind of meaningful plan and long-term resolution at the quarterback spot. As of now, that has not included directly telling the front office what the Raiders have to do or who they have to draft. However, there’s clearly a perception inside the Raiders that Davis isn’t satisfied with the status quo at the position and believes this next offseason will be a key pivot point for the franchise.

With that in mind, here are two primary points that I have been directed toward.

First, pay attention to the influence of minority owner Tom Brady

While, I’ve been told a significant verbal proviso from Davis in the agreement for Brady buying into the franchise was that he will weigh in heavily on the football operations side of the ledger. And a large part of that responsibility will be to help fix — or at the very least, brutally assess — all the moves surrounding the QB depth chart. Davis is looking for an honesty broker when it comes to cutting through the noise. Unlike Telesco, Pierce or anyone else offering an opinion, Brady doesn’t have the looming concern about his job status. He has the background to offer a weighty assessment and the freedom to be blunt about it. He doesn’t have to fear Davis’ vantage. And from what I’ve been told Davis absolutely wants to hear it from someone who isn’t worried about being fired.

As one source put it, “It’s not like we’ve had meetings with Brady sitting in them. But [Brady] isn’t a figurehead. [Davis] obviously respects him. This is what he wants and it’s the whole point [of Brady’s ownership]. [Brady] will impact some decisions, or, he’s going to impact Mark’s opinion. It’s the same thing at this point. It’s not like [the front office] doesn’t matter. But it’s not like Mark will blow Tom off when it comes to the quarterbacks and where it goes — not happening. It’s the opposite. Mark will ask him, ‘What do you think?’ and then that’s what Mark thinks. … What Tom will say about quarterbacks, I’d bet you that’s what goes. That’s what I think will happen. Maybe I’m wrong. We’ll see. But I think who [Tom] likes, Mark likes. We’ll see. It’s gonna be a ride.”

If that’s reality, then Brady might as well be the person selecting the Raiders’ quarterback for 2025. And maybe he will be.