Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in Sunday’s 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos. This is reported by the NFL Network.
An injury leaves the Raiders with only Desmond Ridder at quarterback. The Raiders placed Aidan O’Connell on injured reserve in October with a broken thumb. He was reportedly given an initial window of 4-6 weeks to return. It is unclear how far along he is in his recovery.
Minshew was injured on the Raiders’ penultimate drive with 2:57 left on the clock and Denver leading 26-19. Cody Barton and Jonathon Cooper combined to sack Minshew on the first play. Barton’s tackle pushed Minshew’s left (non-throwing) shoulder into the turf.
Minshew was in obvious pain after the game and left the field with the help of trainers. Ridder completed the play at quarterback. The second time he fell back, he fumbled for the bag. The Broncos recovered and converted the turnover into a field goal to extend their lead to two possessions with 1:56 remaining.
The Raiders signed Ridder off the Falcons’ practice squad in October when O’Connell injured his thumb. The Raiders will likely be in the market to sign another quarterback after Minshew’s injury. The former Toledo and South Alabama quarterback is on the Raiders’ practice squad. He never threw a pass in the NFL.
The Raiders dropped to 2-9 with Sunday’s loss and further fell out of the playoff picture. Minshew’s injury will affect the battle for the No. 1 draft pick. The Raiders are now tied with the Jaguars and Giants for the worst record in the NFL.