Breaking news: the Las Vegas Raiders sign Russell Wilson of the Broncos as new quarterback and…

Could the quarterback for Denver be the answer for Las Vegas?

Naturally, the Las Vegas Raiders are searching for a new quarterback, and they have a few options.

In all likelihood, Russell Wilson—who the Denver Broncos are poised to release—is one of those choices. Let’s examine the benefits and drawbacks of Wilson joining the Raiders.

Wilson has regressed and is no longer an exceptional quarterback. Nonetheless, he is a capable NFL starting quarterback who had some success in 2023. In 2023, he completed 66.4 percent of his throws with only eight interceptions and 26 touchdowns. He’s not being pushed into a starting role as a backup.

With Wilson at quarterback and lots of salary-cap space, the Raiders may be a playoff club if they make smart decisions in the draft and free agency and if the defense doesn’t suffer an unanticipated setback. With Wilson joining the organization, their roster situation would be far worse than that of the Raiders.

Wilson, who turns 36 in November, is starting his thirteenth season in the NFL. His career is coming to an end. He would therefore only be a short-term fix in Las Vegas, even if he performs well and the Raiders decide to bring him back in 2025. Antonio Pierce, the Raiders coach, stated last week that he is not interested in hiring a band-aid replacement for the role.

There’s always the potential that the Raiders may select a quarterback with their first-round choice if Wilson signs with them. But they probably wouldn’t. Thus, the organization would continue to be plagued by the long-term need for a quarterback. Wilson would leave Las Vegas, and the squad would have to start again at the most crucial position on the field.

Wilson is still a quarterback with the caliber to start games, but he is more or less mediocre now. Is he really the solution for a club that needs to win right now? Since 2020, he has not been a member of a postseason team.

Wilson shouldn’t be the first pick on the Raiders’ quarterback wish list this offseason, and the combination probably wouldn’t work well together. However, it might be among the team’s simpler—and less expensive, in terms of resources used and salary—solutions. Therefore, even if it’s the ideal solution and there’s no reason to celebrate, it might also work as a respectable short-term solution.