The Las Vegas Raiders opened up their facilities to the press Thursday, and of course, that meant welcoming their new outspoken quarterback and giving him a chance to speak. That said, it was a very Gardner Minshew press conference. The new Raider initially commented on cold weather and charmingly commented about how nice it was to be inside.
He continued, saying, “One of the first things I saw coming in here was ‘be you,’ you know, ‘be yourself’. Just have the confidence to do that is huge. I think when you have that confidence you can play a lot better and have a lot more fun… that’s a culture here that’s well established and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
He spoke highly about Raiders culture, but as Antonio Pierce, former player, and current head coach, believes, this isn’t just a team that wants to put on a good show on the Las Vegas strip. They want to win football games.
He remarks about putting in work, setting yourself up for success, and getting the job done.
But the quote that stood out the most, by far, was his remark to Maxx Crosby, who, during the Indianapolis Colts and Raiders showdown week 17 last year, kept referring to Minshew (directly to his face) as a “little a** boy”.
“He’s a big a** boy. [Crosby’s] not as much fun to play against, but with him on your team, I absolutely love it. Excited to be with him, Christian [Wilkins[ … some of the best s*** talkers I’ve been around in the NFL. To have them on our side and practice against them every day, it’s just gonna make me better.”
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I think it’s time for the two to make a truce and for Crosby to commit solely to terrorizing the rest of the NFL quarterbacks. The 27-year-old Minshew threw 15 touchdowns last year in Indianapolis, giving the team a fighting chance after their heir apparent, potential future star Anthony Richardson, went down after showing a spark early last season.
Remember, it wasn’t too long ago that Minshew threw 21 TDs and only 6 interceptions in Jacksonville, showing he’s capable of being a starter in this league. The excitement from last year was only the tip of the iceberg for what he might be able to accomplish.
Coach Antonio Pierce came in last year after a successful run as interim head coach, much to Maxx Crosby’s pleasure, and he has indicated several times he wants gutsy guys who will work hard and fight. Right now, the Raiders might want to channel their inner Detroit Lion and turn things around through toughness and grit.
They will need some little boys and big boys to get this done. Together, we’ll see what the Raiders have in store after showing some fight towards the end of last year.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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