Matthew Stafford’s new deal with the Rams sends the Raiders in a new direction at the quarterback position.
Via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Las Vegas will now explore veterans like Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields.
Darnold has been previously linked to the Raiders. Wilson was a knee-jerk, connect-the-dots name after Pete Carroll got the head-coaching job with the Raiders. However, it got rocky near the end of Wilson’s time in Seattle, culminating in a report that Wilson tried to get Carroll fired.
Fields could be an intriguing option, given that he still hasn’t reached his full potential in the NFL.
The absence of Aaron Rodgers’s name from the list is interesting, given that Raiders minority owner Tom Brady is heavily involved in the process of picking a quarterback. It’s possible that Rodgers simply isn’t interested in a team that has a long way to go to contend in a division that has three playoff teams — and one perennial AFC juggernaut.
In time, they’ll get someone. Whether it’s their first choice (or, given the failed pursuit of Stafford, their second) remains to be seen.