One of the most intriguing storylines this offseason is the future of the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback position. The team has been in search of stability at the position since Derek Carr’s departure in 2023, and with their new leadership under head coach Pete Carroll, they are eyeing their next franchise quarterback to help turn things around.
The Raiders have no shortage of potential quarterbacks to choose from, but one new name that has recently entered discussions is Sam Darnold. With the Raiders picking outside of the top five in the draft, several league execs believe Darnold could be a solid choice.
Multiple NFL Executives Believe Sam Darnold Could Be the Raiders’ QB Answer
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently shed light on the growing speculation that Darnold might be a good fit for the Raiders, especially given their draft position.
“Multiple league execs have predicted that Sam Darnold is a viable option, given Las Vegas is picking outside of the top five in the draft,” Fowler reported. “Others believe the Raiders will draft a QB high. And heck, [Pete] Carroll’s old friend Russell Wilson is available. But every option should be exhausted here.”
Does Sam Darnold land with the Raiders this offseason or somewhere else?pic.twitter.com/Eq9O7LZpCN
— PFSN (@PFN365) February 14, 2025
Darnold’s career has been anything but predictable. After being selected third overall by the New York Jets in 2018, he struggled with consistency in New York before being traded to the Carolina Panthers. Though his time with the Panthers was rocky, there were glimpses of potential during his two seasons with the team.
He then had a brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023, where he started just one game.
The next season he ended up in Minnesota, where he had a career-defining year, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and finishing the regular season with a QB+ rating of 79.0 (B).
With the quarterback position not offering much depth in this year’s draft, Darnold could be a more cost-effective solution for the Raiders.
The Raiders Have Other Options To Consider
While Darnold is a name worth watching, the Raiders aren’t necessarily zeroing in on him. As Fowler points out, there’s a strong belief among some execs that Las Vegas might go in a different direction entirely — possibly drafting Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward as their quarterback with a higher pick.
On top of that, Russell Wilson’s name has also come up in some discussions. The former Seattle Seahawks star, who has since struggled finding form with the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, could provide an experienced option for the Raiders as they try to stabilize the quarterback position.
Wilson’s history with Pete Carroll makes this an extra appealing choice, though the Raiders would need to carefully weigh the risks given how the 2014 Super Bowl champion has looked in recent years.
Tom Brady Will Play Crucial Role In Finding Next QB
One thing is certain: Brady will be very involved when it comes to finding the Raiders’ next quarterback. Carroll made this clear during his introductory press conference.
“It’s our mission to build our team around the QB position… it isn’t the only spot. We happen to have the greatest of all time to help us, and we are gonna lean on Tom as much as we can for his insights because nobody has the insights that he has — he is that unique.
“But the QB position is one of the [most important] positions of the team and we got to make it fit all together well. You know, I have pretty good success with my QBs in the past, you can go all the way back to my college days and they have all turned out to be really extraordinary members of our club.
“There’s a way to embrace the challenge the QB has for the rest of the football team as well. We need to support our guy, and we need to do what we can to make that work. It’s really about making a great football team around the QB position. Coach [Bill] Walsh taught me a long time ago that it’s the hardest position in professional sports to play, and we need to make it as easy for them as possible.
“We do that by running the football, protecting them, taking care of the ball, [playing] great defense, kicking the ball when we want to kick it, and so there’s a lot that goes into it. But just think about how fortunate we are to have Tom Brady — it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
These days, Brady is essentially running the Raiders, so it’s no surprise that he would also have plenty of say in who will be under center for Las Vegas next season.
During a recent episode of “The Ryen Russillo Podcast,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini revealed just how much Brady calls the shots behind the scenes in Las Vegas.
“Let’s just start with making it really clear that Tom Brady is running everything in Vegas. It’s all Tom Brady,” Russini said. “I’m telling you, it’s all Tom Brady there. I mean, even his own TB12 programs are being installed, so to speak.”
Brady’s fingerprints are all over every major decision within the franchise, from personnel moves to the decision to hire Carroll to training regimens, so he’s much more involved than your typical minority owner.
Now, it’ll be interesting to see who Brady targets as the Raiders’ next signal-caller.