The Las Vegas Raiders were never expected to be contending for the Super Bowl this season, but there was also a slight hope around the building that they'd be a frisky contender.
That has been far from the case, as the grit and magic at the end of the 2023-24 season is nowhere to be found. The team simply keeps on face-planting each and every week with a brutal quarterback situation, an inexperienced head coach, and an offensive staff that has already seen turnover.
Amid the rough 2-7 start, there are already talks of what can fix the future of this team, and ESPN's Aaron Schatz made it clear what their biggest need is. It isn't too surprising for Raiders fans, but Schatz identified the quarterback issue as the team's offseason need.
"Quarterback," Schatz wrote. "Theoretically, sure, the Raiders could go into 2025 with Gardner Minshew (38.5 QBR) and Aidan O'Connell (48.0 QBR) competing for the job again. But should they? Not if they want to be a contender."
In terms of securing a better pick, there is some work to be done for the Raiders. According to Tankathon, they currently are positioned to get pick No. 5 with teams like the New York Giants, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns all above them and in need of a quarterback.
Luckily for the Raiders, they have a fairly tough slate coming up with the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers all on the docket in the ensuing weeks.
Whether or not everyone in the organization can afford to lose, well, that's a different story for a different day.
