HENDERSON, Nevada – Gardner Minshew will open the season as the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Antonio Pierce announced Sunday.

Minshew, who signed with the Raiders as a free agent in the offseason, was competing with Aidan O’Connell for the job.

“There were a lot of factors that went into that,” Pierce said. “It wasn’t (just) based on last night. There were a lot of factors. So we believe Gardner gives us the best chance to get going quickly and that’s what we’re doing. We support him, our team is behind him, our staff is behind him, the organization is behind him.”

The Raiders open the 2024 season in Week 1 at the Los Angeles Chargers.

When asked what specifically contributed to this decision, Pierce referred to the “experience” of Minshew, who is entering his sixth NFL season, as well as the overall competition.

“The surgery, the process and just everything we saw in practice,” Pierce said. “Some of that showed up in the games. There’s a lot of things we can improve on. I don’t think anything is a finished product here, but based on what we want to accomplish in the first quarter of the season, we think Gardner gives us the best opportunity.”

Minshew, 28, is now playing for his fourth team after signing a two-year, $25 million contract with the Raiders on March 14, including $15 million guaranteed.

In two preseason games, he threw 16 of 33 passes for 212 yards and scored one touchdown. The agile Minshew also managed 12 rushing yards on two attempts.

O’Connell, meanwhile, completed 21 of 29 passes for 172 yards, one TD and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown.

“I think we both did a great job, played great and left it to the coach to make a tough decision,” Minshew said after the Raiders’ lackluster 27-12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.

“I’m super optimistic about what we can achieve as a team this year and I’m just generally looking forward to this year.”

Pierce said the decision to select Minshew was made after consultation with general manager Tom Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.

“His personality is infectious, his energy is infectious, his leadership is infectious,” Pierce said of Minshew. “Things that can improve – (his) footwork in the pocket, sticking to the script.”

“There’s something magical about him when he breaks out of the pocket and does his thing, but there are a lot of situations where when the first (or) second attempt is there, we have to go for it. He understands that. And, more importantly, he takes care of the football.”

O’Connell, a fourth-round pick in 2023 who was used as a rookie starter by Pierce when he was promoted to interim coach on Nov. 1, finished strong last season, throwing eight touchdown passes without an interception in the Raiders’ final four games when Las Vegas was 3-1.

The Raiders’ only loss in this stretch? Against Minshew and the Indianapolis Colts on New Year’s Eve.

“Both of those gentlemen are professionals,” Pierce said. “The way they handled that competition resonated throughout our building … they cheered each other on, they were good teammates, they brought the best out of each other in practice and, I believe, in the games. They both took it like a champion. And I told them to both be ready. You never know in the National Football League.

“But Aidan is a young player with tremendous potential who I think will still be a starter here in this league…will be a starter in this league at some point, whether it’s this year or next year, but he’s going to play in games. And I think Gardner has done a good job…as an older presence. He’s played in the league for a couple of years and been through some adversity, so that’s been good for Aidan.”

While this will be the sixth consecutive season in which Minshew will start at least one game, his only other Week 1 start was in 2020 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Minshew will start for his fourth different franchise since 2020, tying him with Andy Dalton, Carson Wentz and Baker Mayfield for the most games played during that time frame. Sam Darnold of the Minnesota Vikings will also likely join that list this season.