NFL Rumors: Chargers don't have to worry about Lamar Jackson in AFC West
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers already have a rough go at things when it comes to facing opposing quarterbacks in the AFC West. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league and as bad as Russell Wilson was last year, he still has respect in the league and is not a terrible quarterback.
With the Raiders letting Derek Carr walk for no apparent reason, Chargers fans have been looking forward to pummeling whatever bad quarterback Vegas starts under center. However, when Lamar Jackson was given the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Baltimore Ravens it was fair to question if the Raiders would actually have a bad QB next season.
Lamar would represent one of the few actual upgrades that the Raiders could make at the QB position over Derek Carr. While Lamar is not a perfect quarterback, he is arguably the hardest to gameplan against and has one of the best regular-season records in the entire sport.
Vegas has the cap space to make a Lamar Jackson contract work and it seems like a no-brainer for the team as it would allow them to actually compete in the AFC West. However, the Raiders rarely make decisions that make the most sense and this is another example of that. Vegas is one of several teams who are publicly out on pursuing Lamar Jackson.
NFL Rumors: Chargers fans don't have to worry about Lamar Jackson on the Raiders
Apparently, the Raiders are okay with Jarrett Stidham being the team's best option to start in 2023. Sure, they could end up drafting a quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft but they will likely end up with someone like Will Levis.
Levis has a lot of potential but is also very raw and needs a perfect situation to succeed at the NFL. He would be thrown into the fire in Las Vegas, which is far from being his perfect situation. He definitely won't be as good (or even close) as Lamar Jackson.
There are not really any other quarterback options for the Raiders unless Tom Brady has a change of heart and wants to reunite with Josh McDaniels. Aaron Rodgers seems off the table and there isn't anyone else in free agency that is worth worrying about.
Lamar Jackson is a perfect get out of jail free card for a Raiders team that put itself in a useless corner at the quarterback position. Yet they don't want to use it and would rather try to roll doubles. All Chargers fans can do it sit back and laugh.