Quarterbacks are gamblers. It's part of their nature and makeup, and that's especially true of scrambler and gambler Gardiner Minshew, who also happens to be the author of Minshew Mania, which was seriously on the ropes in Vegas until Antonio Pierce unexpectedly named Minshew the Raider starter after a dubious performance in Vegas's second preseason game against the Cowboys.
It's a risky decision, to be sure, and Pierce told the media he knew he might have some tough sledding when he decided to sleep on it. But the Minshew Experience comes with plenty of sleepless nights, so it's worth a closer look to see how we got here and where we might be going.
Gardiner Minshew's glorious journey
The vagaries of Minshew's college career are well documented, as they included unlikely outposts like Troy University. They prepared him for his career as the classic NFL journeyman, although none of us could have been ready for the Minshew Mania experience that followed in Jacksonville.
Which couldn't last, of course, and it didn't. Minshew himself has admitted he doesn't have a particularly strong arm, and he's made a roller coaster of a career for himself by throwing on the run into tight windows.
That tendency to gamble led him to Philly in his next stop, where he backed up Jaylen Hurts. After that, Minshew seemingly found a home of sorts in Indianapolis when Anthony Richardson broke his shoulder, and Minshew nearly led the Colts to a playoff berth.
The new Raiders experience
Given all of Minshew's ups and downs and the thrills and chills he provides, it was probably only a matter of time before he became a Raider and landed in the same division as Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and newcomer Bo Nix.
Part of the reason Minshew chose Las Vegas was...well because it's Vegas, of course, but also because he didn't have to face as much competition to become a starter. His main competition was Aidan O'Connell, who isn't exactly a household name in the NFL quarterback world, much less the league as a whole.
But Minshew still struggled to beat him out. He started well but completed less than 50 percent of his passes against Dallas while gaining less than 100 yards. That was good enough to win the job, though, partially because Pierce doesn't have any other viable options at the moment.
Minshew gets one more chance to give his boss a chance at a good night's sleep, though. The Raiders close their preseason with a 49ers visit to Vegas, which will offer something of a study as Minshew squares off against Brock Purdy, the former Mr. Irrelevant.
After that comes up trip to LA and a match against the new combination of Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh, which should also be entertaining beyond reason. How long Minshew keeps the job after that, though, is anyone's guess, so feel free to place your bets.
Minshew Mania and what stays in Vegas...
Based on any common-sense assessment of what Gardiner Minshew brings to the table as a starting quarterback, we can probably safely say that the Minshew Experience won't be one of those things that stays in Vegas.
He'll probably keep the Raiders competitive and win some games he shouldn't, but Minshew will also throw some games away by indulging in his unfortunate gambling habit.
It'll all be tons of fun, though, and at some point, it will set up yet another departure for the NFL's ramblin', gamblin' man. It's also an experience made for Raider fans, although we can't help but wonder how it would have played back in the Coliseum in Oakland. That would have been a hoot to see, too.
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