Raiders Cut Ties With QB Days Before Start of Training Camp

The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback room is set to look very different in 2025. Last year’s Week 1 starter, Gardner Minshew, was cut earlier in the offseason, and the team brought in Geno Smith and rookie Cam Miller.

There was trade talk surrounding Aidan O’Connell, but he appears set to be the team’s backup unless Miller has a very strong training camp. The odd man out was Carter Bradley, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent last year.

The current coaching staff didn’t bring him in, so he faced an uphill battle to make the roster. The one thing working in his favor is that he’s the son of longtime defensive coordinator Gus Bradey, who previously worked with Pete Carroll on the Seattle Seahawks.

However, those family ties weren’t enough to give him a chance in training camp. The Raiders announced on Monday that Bradley has been waived.

He never had much of a chance to prove his worth, but he was a small school prospect, so it was always going to be difficult for him to keep a roster spot long-term. Perhaps he could be a practice squad option for the team in the future, but the fact that he was let go before the start of training camp likely means the Raiders have moved on for good.

PFF & NFL Disagree on Smith’s Ranking

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has been speaking to NFL executives, scouts and coaches ahead of the 2025 season and has them rank the top-10 players at every major position group. Notably, he just put out the list for top-10 quarterbacks, and Smith is nowhere to be found.

That’s not a big surprise, but the fact that he didn’t receive a single vote to make the top 10 seems odd. Even Bo Nix, Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers and Tua Tagovailoa all received votes.

One outlet that doesn’t agree with Fowler’s rankings is Pro Football Focus. They have Smith ranked as the 10th-best quarterback in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season.

“Few would have pegged Smith to grade as the sixth-best passer in the NFL over the past two seasons, but here we are,” John Kosko wrote. “In fact, his 85.8 passing grade in that span is just 0.2 points shy of Patrick Mahomes. After being traded for a third-round pick this offseason, Smith should enjoy an improved offensive line but a downgrade in receiving weapons. He protects the football and has a knack for generating big-time throws.”

Raiders QB Room Is in Good Place

The Raiders may have had the worst quarterback room in the NFL last season. Minshew and O’Connell left a lot to be desired. This season, things are looking much better.

Smith is, at the very least, an above-average starter. O’Connell is a capable backup, while Miller is a rookie with some upside.

The Raiders would likely love to have a young quarterback with a bit more upside than Miller or O’Connell, but this is a solid start for the Carroll tenure. That said, if Smith doesn’t stay healthy, the Raiders aren’t going to do much this season unless O’Connell has continued to improve.