The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Las Vegas Raiders for the final time in '24 in Week 12, but in their second meeting of the season, the Raiders will not have quarterback Gardner Minshew. The passer suffered an injury at the end of Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos.
As reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Minshew suffered a broken collarbone and is done for the season.
That may open the door for Desmond Ridder to take on Kansas City in a rivalry matchup on Black Friday. Yet, the injured Aidan O'Connell could have a chance to return as well. It could easily be a decision that Las Vegas takes all the way up to game time. If not, the Raiders may just purely be playing some gamesmanship. But do not look now, Daniel Jones is expected to sign with a new team some time this upcoming week after being released by the New York Giants. Either way, it could be a fluid situation for who the Chiefs defense will exactly see.
Ridder, O'Connell Could Earn Fresh Opportunity
Ridder has appeared in two games in garbage time for the Raiders so far this season. If he indeed starts for Las Vegas, it will be his first start of the year and just the 18th start of his young career.
Ridder was with the Arizona Cardinals to open the season. But when Aidan O'Connell got hurt and Minshew's performance was dwindling, the Raiders signed Ridder off of Arizona's practice squad. Turnovers and inconsistency with accuracy have been early hurdles for Ridder in the NFL so far.
O'Connell has, at times, appeared to have strong support from Las Vegas head coach Antonio Pierce and the Raiders' locker room. With him suffering an injured thumb immediately upon getting a chance this year, it likely put even more distress inside the Las Vegas building. While he is not flashy, O'Connell is not afraid to at least try things and pull the trigger in key moments. That is not even something that you could say when Derek Carr was there. And for what it is worth, O'Connell was part of that major upset in Arrowhead for the Raiders in last year's Christmas game.
The End of Minshew In Vegas?
is this the end of the road for Gardner Minshew in Las Vegas? The Raiders have been heavily involved in rumors about drafting a new quarterback next April. And while the injury is a tough pill to swallow, his play did not provide much of a ringing endorsement for Minshew going into next year. If the Raiders want to cut him next offseason, Las Vegas would be able to accrue some salary cap savings.
As mentioned by The Sporting News, Las Vegas could save $6.3 million in 2025 by designating Minshew as a pre-June 1 cut. That would also earn them a dead cap hit of $7.6 million. But if they opt to release him and designate it as a post-June 1 cut, the Raiders could save $9.3 million. A post-June 1 cut also nets them $4.6 million in dead money for 2025.