Last year at this time, quarterback Gardner Minshew signed a two-year, $25 million free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders and was immediately anointed as the starter.

This year, there would be no such contract and no such promise.

Minshew did sign a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the terms were not released. He will not compete for the starting job, which firmly belongs to three-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes.

It would come as a surprise if the contract was for more than the veteran minimum with playing time incentives. Minshew will replace Carson Wentz who is a free agent.

Minshew went 2-7 as a starter last season before being replaced by both backups Aidan O’Connell and Desmond Ridder after he suffered a broken collarbone. He also threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9).

Neither quarterback impressed therefore Pete Carroll cleaned out the quarterback room and traded for Geno Smith, whom he had in Seattle.

Minshew has thrown 68 touchdown passes with 34 interceptions in 59 career games over parts of six seasons with the Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.

His best season came in 2023, when he passed for a career-high 3,305 yards in 17 games with the Colts as Indianapolis went 7-6 in the games he started.

Minshew was released by the Raiders on March 12, the start of the new league year. It did not take him long to find a suitor.