Las Vegas’ quarterback situation is looking awfully thin, and head coach Klint Kubiak didn’t do much to hide it.
Kubiak opened by giving Seattle quarterback Drew Lock a strong endorsement, calling him “a starting NFL quarterback” and pointing out that he is 2-0 this season. That kind of praise matters because it frames the matchup as more than just a backup facing a vulnerable Raiders team. In Kubiak’s view, Lock is not someone to brush off.
The bigger concern, though, is what happens on the Las Vegas side if things go sideways. When asked about an emergency quarterback, Kubiak identified Aidan O’Connell as the next man up and then stopped short of naming “Plan C.” He described that as part of the normal job when a team is carrying only two quarterbacks, saying it “is part of the gig.”
That reality leaves the Raiders with almost no cushion. If Fernando Mendoza gets hurt or simply can’t get it done, O’Connell is the final standard option. After that, the team would be forced into something far less ideal, whether that means turning to a skill-position player or making a quick roster move.
Kubiak was also asked about the possibility of bringing in another quarterback, and his answer was short and direct: “Definitely in discussion with that. Yes.”
That kind of response usually tells you plenty on its own. Teams do not often speak that plainly unless the need is obvious or a move is already being weighed seriously.
And the logic is easy to follow. A rookie starter, a shallow depth chart, and a coach openly acknowledging the conversation all point toward the Raiders adding someone, most likely a veteran either from the practice squad or the open market.
The price of doing it is small. The price of not doing it could be a lost game, or worse, a young quarterback getting thrown into a situation with no safety net.
The bigger question is how the roster got to this point in the first place. Quarterback depth is supposed to be about planning for the unexpected, and for Las Vegas, that contingency appears to have arrived a little too late.
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Rob Leonards job security has naturally become part of the conversation as the losses and defensive breakdowns pile up, even if his spot remains secure for now. For a Raiders team trying to steady itself, the bigger concern is whether this is a temporary dip or a sign that the issues on that side of the ball run deeper than one exhausted group of defenders. [Read more 🡒]