Raiders Pushed to Go ‘All in’ on 30-Year-Old 3-Time Pro Bowl QB

Getty Antonio Pierce & Tom Telesco of the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Las Vegas Raiders weren’t able to add a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft and it could prove difficult to draft one in 2025. The team has too much talent to realistically finish with a high enough pick to get a top quarterback prospect.

If the Raiders do play well this season, they should have a low ceiling due to their quarterback play. The team’s situation could be appealing to an established quarterback looking for a change of scenery. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is entering a contract year and can test free agency next offseason if he doesn’t get an extension.

Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report went through and discussed five teams that should “go all in” on Prescott and listed the Raiders among them.

“Among the five teams that should monitor Dak Prescott’s situation, the Las Vegas Raiders are the only squad that will have a true quarterback competition at training camp, which underscores why they need to approach the 2025 quarterback market with urgency,” Moton wrote in a June 13 column.

“This offseason, the Raiders signed journeyman signal-caller Gardner Minshew to compete against second-year pro Aidan O’Connell for the starting job.”

Prescott is only 30 and led the NFL in passing touchdowns last season with 36. He’d be a big upgrade at quarterback for the Raiders if they were able to agree to a deal.

Price for Dak Prescott Likely Going Up

The biggest issue with a potential Prescott signing is money. He’s likely headed toward a record-breaking contract and the price could only be going up. Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence just got a new contract that pays him $55 million a year, per a June 13 X post from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, which makes him tied with Joe Burrow for being the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.

If Prescott hits the open market, he could be looking at a contract that pays him closer to $60 million a year. The Cowboys cannot use the franchise tag on Prescott so he has a lot of leverage, which will only make his price higher. The Raiders wouldn’t be the only team interested in him so it’s possible a bidding war would happen.

Is Dak Prescott the Right Fit for the Las Vegas Raiders?

The two quarterbacks on the Raiders roster right now are Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, who combined for 27 touchdown passes between 23 starts. As mentioned previously, Prescott had 36 touchdown passes in 17 starts.

He’d be a clear upgrade over what the Raiders have and could be enough to help turn the team into a perennial playoff contender. However, $60 million for a quarterback who is 2-5 in the playoffs is a big risk. Prescott is one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL but the Cowboys have surrounded him with a lot of offensive and defensive talent and he still hasn’t been able to get it done in the playoffs.

He has a career passer rating of 99.0 in the regular season but it drops to 91.8 in the playoffs. The Raiders have been to the playoffs just twice since 2002 so having a quarterback who can simply get them there might be enough to pay him whatever he wants.