Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak offered a revealing snapshot of the team’s quarterback depth, and the numbers are not comfortable.
Kubiak first praised Seattle’s Drew Lock, calling him “a starting NFL quarterback” and noting he is 2-0 this season. The compliment doubles as a warning. The Raiders will face a veteran who has won games with little fanfare, and Kubiak’s respect suggests no one in the building views Lock as a stopgap.
The more consequential answers concerned Las Vegas itself. Asked about an emergency quarterback, Kubiak named Aidan O’Connell as the fallback and then declined to identify “Plan C.” He framed that as routine, saying preparing for it “is part of the gig” when only two quarterbacks are available.
That phrase deserves scrutiny…
A team with two healthy quarterbacks, one a rookie making his first start, has no real margin. If Fernando Mendoza is injured or struggles badly, O’Connell is the last conventional option. Any further misfortune sends the Raiders into improvisation, likely a skill-position player or a hurried signing.
Kubiak’s answer on adding a quarterback was brief: “Definitely in discussion with that. Yes.” The brevity is notable. Coaches rarely confirm roster deliberations so plainly unless a move is close or the need is obvious.
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The reasoning points in one direction. A rookie under pressure, a thin depth chart, and a coach publicly acknowledging talks suggest an addition, probably a veteran on the practice squad or the open market, is more likely than not. The cost is small, and the downside of waiting is a lost game or a damaged young quarterback.
The open question is why the depth chart was allowed to narrow this far. Roster building is about contingencies, and this one arrived late.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Imagn ImagesÂ