Las Vegas Raiders fans might be feeling less optimistic about the season after a 2-4 start, the recent trade of star wide receiver Davante Adams to the New York Jets, and the team’s current quarterback situation with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II, neither of whom seems like a solid NFL starter.
The best chance for hope in Las Vegas this season might be if the team manages to trade for a quarterback upgrade before the November 5 trade deadline. A new opportunity has emerged following a surprising move by the Pittsburgh Steelers at the quarterback position earlier this week.
On October 15, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Steelers gave first-team practice reps to Russell Wilson, who had been serving as a backup to Justin Fields for the first six games of the season, partly due to a calf injury that delayed his start in Week 1.
Wilson has been mentioned as a potential trade target for the Raiders, assuming they’re looking to upgrade at quarterback. However, with Adams no longer on the team, Wilson’s move to Las Vegas seems less likely or sensible, especially if he is no longer available for trade.
Acquiring Wilson’s $1.2 million salary would have been a short-term strategy to boost the Raiders’ playoff chances in a wide-open AFC race for teams with a 2-4 record or better. While the Raiders could still pursue a postseason spot, a one-season move like trading for Wilson might not make as much sense now.
Justin Fields, who is in the last year of his $19 million rookie deal and set to become a free agent in 2025, also represents a possible trade option. If the Raiders were to acquire Fields, it wouldn’t have to be just a short-term plan.
The Raiders are likely to draft a quarterback in the first round next year. However, rushing a rookie quarterback into starting roles can be risky, and it could be beneficial to give a new QB a year to learn the system and adjust to the NFL.
If the Raiders traded for Fields and he performed well, they could offer him a short extension with the expectation of starting in 2025. This would create a smoother transition, giving the team a stable quarterback plan while also offering Fields a secure role and competitive pay.
This approach might be the most prudent option for both parties. Fields could test the free agent market in a relatively weak QB class next year, with the option to return to the Raiders if they remained interested. Meanwhile, Las Vegas could continue to develop O’Connell and Minshew for the rest of this season and integrate a rookie quarterback in 2025.
Until the trade window closes on November 5, the possibility remains that the Raiders and Fields could team up through a trade, securing a mutually beneficial arrangement for at least the next season.
