The 2024 season hasn't gone the Las Vegas Raiders way, as the team is 2-8 and has lost six consecutive games after a 2-2 start. Antonio Pierce's squad suffered a 34-19 defeat to the Miami Dolphins in Week 11 and will host the Denver Broncos in Week 12.
The primary reason the Raiders have been abysmal in 2024 is atrocious quarterback play. Gardner Minshew has started most of the season for Las Vegas and has been one of the worst signal callers in the NFL, tossing eight touchdowns to nine interceptions with an 82.3 passer rating.
Aidan O'Connell also started a pair of games and looked uninspiring before breaking his thumb in the first half of the team's Week 7 contest versus the Los Angeles Rams.
Though many expect the Raiders to draft a young signal caller in April's draft, Sports Illustrated's Tom Dierberger and Karl Rasmussen believe Las Vegas is a potential landing spot for New York Jets' quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The Raiders have long been searching for a solution at quarterback. They failed to lock one down this year, as Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell and Desmond Ridder have all seen action under center. Of course, drafting a quarterback seems like the logical solution to their woes at the position, and it's practically a foregone conclusion that Las Vegas will be in the market for a young arm in next year's draft.
Still, bringing in Rodgers for the 2025 season could also be a prudent move for the franchise. At 2-8, Las Vegas figures to be picking near the top of the board in next year's draft. It's possible whatever quarterback they select—whether it's Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, Quinn Ewers or someone else—might not immediately be ready to take over the offense. Rodgers is the single most experienced quarterback in the league, and there won't be a more proven option than him available in the offseason.
The Jets' disastrous season has continued to spiral out of control, as the franchise fired general manager Joe Douglas on Tuesday just a month after moving on from head coach Robert Saleh. New York is 3-8 on the year and desperately needs a reset this offseason.
According to Dianna Russini and Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic, Jets owner Woody Johnson has been extremely disgruntled with Aaron Rodgers' play this season, and though the future Hall of Famer is under contract till 2026, it's becoming increasingly unlikely that Rodgers returns to New York in 2025.
Though Rodgers is one of the greatest signal callers in league history, trading for the 10-time Pro Bowler would be a foolish move from the Raiders. The 40-year-old is clearly on the decline, and New York will likely demand premium draft capital for Rodgers' services.
Instead, Las Vegas should draft a rookie quarterback and sign a veteran signal-caller to mentor the team's first-round draft choice. Trading for Rodgers would hoist zero benefits for the Raiders and only delay an inevitable rebuild.
