The Raiders have one big question to answer this offseason: Who will be the starting quarterback in 2023? Josh McDaniels appeared to take one candidate off the list Tuesday.
The NFL combine began this week, and it's a time for optimism for all 32 franchises. Las Vegas released Derek Carr after the quarterback was unwilling to break his no-trade clause.
The Raiders have been linked to Aaron Rodgers, as well as the New York Jets, but the All-Pro QB has yet to declare what his future will be, as of Tuesday. The Green Bay Packers appear to be willing to stick with Rodgers or start Jordan Love, but Las Vegas might not be calling if the former is made available.
"The goal for us, eventually, is to have somebody that's going to be here for a long time," McDaniels told reporters in Indianapolis Tuesday, per NFL.com's Nick Shook. "I think that you see the teams that are having success right now in our league, in our conference and specifically in our division, they're young players that were drafted by their clubs and they're being developed there under the same continuity. So I think eventually, yes.
"Do I think you have to do that if you're not sure, or you're not sold on the player, and now you're making a mistake just to try to say that you're solving a problem? I don't think that's really a smart decision. So we're going to do everything we can do to evaluate every player at that position, both in the draft and free agency, and try to see what we can do to improve the room. ... The goal, eventually, is to have a player here who's going to be a Raider for a long time."
The phrase "for a long time" really could mean anything. Two years technically could be a "long time," and it's likely how long Rodgers' NFL career will be if he continues playing.
But it doesn't sound like Rodgers would be in the Raiders' plans if they want a franchise quarterback for the next five years to a decade.
The Raiders hold the No. 7 pick in the NFL Draft, and they hype around Anthony Richardson likely makes it possible four quarterbacks are picked in the top 10 -- the other three being Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis.
McDaniels could go with a familiar face in Jimmy Garoppolo as an option to mentor a young quarterback who might need to sit a year or two.
If the Ravens aren't able to work things out with Lamar Jackson, that No. 7 pick could be used in a blockbuster package to acquire the Pro Bowl quarterback.
There are plenty of options for Las Vegas, but it has to decisive after its division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, won the Super Bowl.
