Raiders quarterback 2025: Testing John Spytek’s mettle as GM from the jump

Known as a renowned talent evaluator, Las Vegas new personnel man gets tested with QB room

The search is complete.

John Spytek is the new general manager. Pete Carroll is the new head coach.

The Las Vegas Raiders’ vacancies are filled and soon enough, the Silver & Black’s new power structure will roll up their sleeves and get cracking on building a team that can compete — in the ultra-competitive AFC West and beyond.

And from the jump, Spytek’s mettle as talent evaluator and roster builder will be tested thoroughly as the Raiders are lacking at the all-important position of quarterback. While the Raiders had four signal callers on the roster during the 2024 campaign — starters Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew II, Desmond Ridder, and Carter Bradley — the likliehood of the quarterback room looking like that in 2025 is as low as Ben Johnson coming to Las Vegas truly was.

Minshew was the starter when the regular season began but his effectiveness waned as the season went on and he landed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone. O’Connell has the look of a serviceable quarterback that’s more bridge-/backup-type than a franchise signal caller. Ridder and Bradley bring fringe roster type to the table.

The duo of Spytek and Carroll will need to figure out how that room looks and who the leading man is for the 2025 campaign. And it’ll be interesting to see the makeup of the quarterback room as the offseason progresses.

Las Vegas isn’t without options, of course.

Spytek can explore the trade and free agent markets along with the 2025 NFL Draft. The Raiders own the No. 6 overall pick in April’s event and while that appears out of range for a top prospect in the opening round, we’ve seen risers and fallers draft day that result in prospects dropping when it was originally thought they wouldn’t. And franchise signal callers aren’t only found in the first round, either.

Carroll is well aware of this himself — during his time with the Seattle Seahawks and Russell Wilson (third-round pick, No. 75 overall in the 2012 draft) — as is Spytek — he was Michigan teammates with Tom Brady (sixth-round pick, No. 199 overall in 2000 draft) as well as helping bring TB12 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With his 27 years as a head coach in both the collegiate and professional landscape, Carroll is going to have input on his new team’s quarterback situation. And the synergy he and Spytek display as they chart a new course for the Silver & Black bears keen watching.

The first decision is likely what to do with Minshew.

The 28-year-old is coming off injury and holds a $14 million cap number in 2025 and turns 29 in May. Perhaps 2024 was an anomaly for Minshew as Las Vegas was ineffective with both Luke Getsy and Scott Turner calling plays. A decision on if he remains is likely one of Spytek’s key decisions this offseason.

According to Over The Cap, cutting Minshew with a post-June 1 designation would leave $7.66 million in dead cap ($4.66 million in 2025, $1.5 million in 2026, $1.5 million in 2027) but present a $10.84 million cap savings ($9.34 million in 2025, $1.5 million in 2026).

O’Connell is on his rookie contract as a fourth-round pick (No. 135 overall) in the 2023 draft and that runs course for two more seasons as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in 2027 (and age 29). So he’ll likely be on the roster as it’s not completely known what O’Connell can do with a consistent coaching staff.

Free agency is an option and that’s a well Spytek is familiar with as an NFL personnel man. But that’s going to cost a pretty penny with Sam Darnold — who had a resurgence with the Minnesota Vikings this past season — atop the market if he gets there.

Then there’s the draft with Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedur Sanders as the headliners. The 2025 class isn’t as bountiful as previous drafts, but there’s talent beyond Ward and Sanders. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Syarcuse’s Kyle McCord, and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel are draft bound.

Carroll’s eventual coaching staff, scheme, and system looms large on what kind of personnel the Raiders need and will deploy, of course.

But getting a long-term solution to the quarterback conundrum that’s plagued the Raiders is going to be priority No. 1 for Spytek.