One of the Kansas City Chiefs’ more noteworthy moves in the 2025 offseason was pilfering a backup quarterback from the hated rival Las Vegas Raiders, as they signed former starter Gardner Minshew to support Patrick Mahomes after moving on from veteran Carson Wentz.
Even though Minshew threw more interceptions than touchdowns last season, his history as a player suggests that he is more than capable of handling business in the NFL if he gets in the right system. Kansas City seems to be banking on the Andy Reid X-factor helping Minshew level up, even after his injury-riddled 2024 season.
With the Raiders having signed Minshew to a two-year contract, Las Vegas is still on the hook for a little bit of money. This helped Brett Veach and the Chiefs sign Minshew for the veteran minimum in 2025. Minshew is actually getting more money from Las Vegas than he is from his new squad.
The Raiders are giving Minshew a little more than $2 million this season against the $1.1 million salary he signed, meaning that Vegas is paying him to play for their hated rival. This delicious irony likely wasn’t lost on Brett Veach and the front office.
While last season proved that Minshew is incapable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL at this stage of his career, he could still have value as a high-end backup. After all he was just one year removed from almost leading the Indianapolis Colts to a postseason birth.
The Raiders have made some upgrades this offseason, including hiring Pete Carroll as head coach and trading for Geno Smith, but the fact they still haven’t been able to agree to a new contract with him when that was the only reason he was moved was a financial dispute is more classic Raiders dysfunction.
While an ideal season for Minshew in Kansas City would involve him not playing a single snap until a Week 18 game when the Chiefs have already locked up a playoff spot, the peace of mind he provides behind Patrick Mahomes is worth whatever the Raiders are paying.
The idea of the Raiders paying most of the money for a possible key contributor for a team with Super Bowl expectations is some delicious irony, as it shows what half-baked ideas the entire Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco eras were for Kansas City’s rivals in the desert.
