The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback search nearly caused a fight in a coffee shop this week if you needed any indication how tense the situation was. The team hasn't won a playoff game in more than two decades. Derek Carr, Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew have each led the team in passing over the last three years, so it's clear how important it is for the franchise to take a step in the right direction this offseason.
The Raiders are reportedly and prominently interested in Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, and it seems that some inside the organization feel he would be a better option than drafting a quarterback.
"There are members of the Raiders’ offensive coaching staff who prefer adding a proven veteran quarterback to taking a dice roll on a rookie quarterback, according to league sources," The Athletic reported Friday. "The 2025 draft class isn’t perceived to be deep at quarterback, and there’s a chance that the only options worth drafting in the first round will be gone by the time the Raiders are on the clock."
The Raiders currently have the No. 6 pick in the draft. Depending on what mock you're looking at, that could have them in position to draft Shedeur Sanders, but he is still just a prospect.
Stafford is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who just threw for 324 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in a near playoff upset of the eventual champion Philadelphia Eagles. If new head coach Pete Carroll and the Raiders feel they can be good this year, Stafford is a pretty good—if pricy—option.
But would Stafford actually make the Raiders real contenders? Is it worth it to pass up the long-term potential of Sanders or another rookie quarterback just so the coaching staff can be more comfortable for a season or two? Is Pete Carroll concerned about the franchise that far down the road?
The team's quarterback this season should answer most of those questions.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Raiders' Coaching Staff Has Clear Preference at QB Amid Matthew Stafford Rumor.
