If you play quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, well, you may very well have one of the most stressful jobs in the world. You have high expectations to live up to. Not because the Raiders had a previous greatest quarterback ever, or anything like that — not because there was one before that you have to follow in the footsteps of, but because the fan base and franchise demands excellence.
Sure, they haven’t shown that in 20 years. But they demand it. Al Davis did, and Mark Davis did too. So, the quarterback, which is the most important position on the team, is a stressful position, especially in silver and black when everything is so magnified.
Derek Carr was the last guy who even sniffed or got close to any success. Now the Raiders have been through Jimmy Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer, Aidan O’Connell, and Gardner Minshew. So, that’s why this quarterback battle they are having at training camp is so important.
For Minshew, he’s coming in as the other guy — the new signing that has to beat out O’Connell, who was the quarterback last year. So, keeping a great mindset is key during this battle, and that’s what Minshew is doing.
“I’m just trying to compete against myself. If I can get better, then I’ll be alright,” Minshew said at training camp.
The Raiders made the decision to bring him in because of his experience and veteran leadership. And, he brings an aspect to the quarterback position that O’Connell doesn’t have — he can escape the pocket and make plays with his feet by throwing on the run.
However, we are seeing a mental sise to Minshew that I’m not really anyone knew he had before he got here. Sure, the Jacksonville Jaguars media and coaches along with the other teams he’s been on may have known, but this is new to the Raiders. That is the perfect mindset to have for his situation.
