One of the great mysteries here in Las Vegas as the NFL offseason waits to get underway is this: Who will be the Raiders quarterback in 2024? It won’t be Jimmy Garoppolo or Brian Hoyer, certainly, and while Aidan O’Connell could/should be given a chance to win the job in camp, that could change if there is a major trade or free-agent signing.

But if the Raiders give O’Connell a fair shake and, perhaps, use their first-round pick (or another high draft choice) to select a quarterback who also will be in the mix as a starter, it would make sense to have a stable, accomplished veteran backup on hand. According to Pro Football Focus, one name that makes sense for the Raiders is Jacoby Brissett, the 31-year-old backup for the Commanders who has a history of being a solid option when needed.

In eight NFL seasons, Brissett has started only 48 games. He has had two seasons, both in Indianapolis, in which he came in as the starter, and one (in Cleveland in 2022) in which he started the bulk of the games because of injury. That year, Brissett had 11 starts and threw for 2,608 yards, with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He posted a respectable 88.9 quarterback rating.

PFF projects Brissett to warrant a contract worth $6.5 million for one year, after he had a cap hit of $8.5 million in Washington last season.

Other Options at Raiders Quarterback

The calculus on the Raiders’ quarterback depth could change if an often-floated trade for Bears star Justin Fields somehow comes to fruition. That seems less likely with the hiring of ex-Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, though, as he and Fields did not seem to mesh well in Chicago.

Still, if the Raiders acquired Fields, or created enough cap space to sign the likes of Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield, it’s likely that O’Connell would move into a backup role and the addition of Brissett would be unnecessary.

As PFF wrote: “Brissett once again played good football in 2023 after an underrated strong 2022 campaign over the first 11 games for the Cleveland Browns, stepping up in Week 15 and earning a 92.0 PFF grade with 124 passing yards and two touchdowns on just ten passing attempts. It was unfortunate Brissett got hurt in Week 16 as it appeared he may have been the starter the rest of the way in Washington. …

“The Raiders no longer have a head coach and general manager with Patriots connections, but Brissett makes sense nonetheless.”

Garoppolo Spending Could Be a Factor

Brissett is likely to come cheap as quarterbacks go, though on the more expensive side for a backup. That could be a factor for the Raiders, because wriggling out of the $72 million contract they gave Jimmy Garoppolo will be costly—$15.5 million in dead money this year, and $12.8 million next year.

Bringing in a rookie, along with O’Connell and Brissett, would be the most cost-effective way for the team to handle its quarterback situation while Garoppolo’s money sits on the books. O’Connell will carry a cap hit of just about $1 million next season. The Raiders’ first-round pick, No. 13 overall, will have a cap hit of $3.2 million next year.

If they were to sign Brissett to the $6.5 million deal PFF projects, and draft a first-round quarterback, the Raiders then would be spending about $11 million on quarterbacks, plus Garoppolo’s money.