QB Gardner Minshew sees himself as the Raiders’ ‘point guard’

LAS VEGAS — Gardner Minshew has played a lot of professional football in his life, but being named the starting midfielder for the Las Vegas Raiders is a somewhat unique feeling.

For only the second time in his five-year career, Minchu will open the season as his team’s starting player, although he has always maintained an individualistic mentality.

“I think anytime you step in as a quarterback, no matter what the situation is, that’s your team at that point and you have to treat it that way,” Minshew said after the Raiders’ open practice at Allegiant Stadium on Tuesday night, two days after being named the starter by coach Antonio Pearce.

“Right now, I think we have a lot of things we can work on, really focus on — getting the reps, having some good conversations with these guys — and figuring out who we are and what we’re going to look like,” he said.

Minshew, who signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Raiders on March 14, beat out Aidan O’Connell, who is returning for his second season and started 10 games as a rookie last season and went 5-5, including 3-1 in the season finale. Those losses came to Minshew and the Indianapolis Colts on New Year’s Eve.

Pierce said the decision to sign Minshew was made in coordination with general manager Tom Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsey, adding that Minshew’s mobility and ability to extend plays gave the Raiders “the best chance to get going quickly.”

Minshew was a sixth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 out of Washington State and started 12 games as a rookie, replacing an injured Nick Foles in the season opener. Minshew also beat the Raiders in their final game in Oakland in December of that year.

In 2020, Minshew opened as the Jaguars’ starter, but after a 1-6 start and injuries to his passing hand, he was benched and lost his only other start that season.

Minshew then came off the bench for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 and 2022, replacing Jalen Hurts, and then for the Colts in 2023, replacing an injured Anthony Richardson.

“My relationship with coaching has always been about improving and having fun,” said Minshew, who has started 37 of 49 games in his career, recording 15 wins and 22 losses.

“I think if you do those two things, you’re going to have a good day, you’re going to get better, you’re going to have a really good time, man, and the one thing I’ve come to realize is that being a quarterback in this league is about winning,” he said. “If you win, nothing else really matters, and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to try to figure out how to win games here.”

Minshew said he sees himself as a “point guard” whose job is to distribute the ball in the Jets’ offense rather than trying to win games on his own.

Minshew said having left back Colton Miller (shoulder) off the injured list and participating in practice Tuesday should help.

However, he will have to build more chemistry with receiver Davante Adams, who has been “in and out” of voluntary organizational workouts and missed the team’s last five practices at camp in Costa Mesa, Calif., as well as the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings to attend the birth of his son.

Adams, a three-time first-team All-Star, also missed another practice last week, an exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys, after an “awkward move” left him with pain.

“It’s huge, man,” Minshew said of working with Adams. “We’re going to get some extra pitches.

“We’ve actually worked on a few extra films, just kind of getting on the same page, and I think a lot of that comes with the actors, but a lot of it you can boil down, you can talk through it, you can work through things, play out scenarios in the film room, and it’s a lot of fun to do that with him.

“He’s a guy who’s played a lot of football, knows a lot, and I’ll always rely on him, take his ideas and try to make him the player he can be.”