A tweeted photo of Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew wearing a sweatshirt bearing a derogatory nickname given to him by Raiders star Maxx Crosby is fake, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“An image of Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew wearing a sweatshirt making light of his past rivalry with new teammate Maxx Crosby was not authentic, a source close to the team said,” Adam Hill wrote in an April 18 column.
Minshew had been photographed in a black sweatshirt over a gray T-shirt on March 15, when he spoke at a press conference after signing with the team. The doctored image, however, showed the sweatshirt emblazoned with the Nike swoosh and the words “Lil [expletive] boy” in the typeface long associated with Nike’s marketing and advertising.
The phrase is derived from trash talk used repeatedly by Crosby during a game last season against Minshew’s Indianapolis Colts.
More than three dozen users commented on the April 15 tweet by Raider Posts, a meme- and GIF-generating account with more than 51,000 followers. As of April 22, the post had more than 83,000 views. Raider Posts, which also sells merchandise, also appears to have altered images of Crosby wearing a shirt with a self-aggrandizing phrase and Tom Brady in a black hoodie and Raiders ball cap.
Gardner Minshew Excited to Work With Antonio Pierce
🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/pREXjXpqyD
— Raider Posts (@RaiderPosts) April 15, 2024
The Raiders moved on from Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer this offseason and the only quarterback they added was Gardner Minshew. He’ll compete for the starting quarterback job. Minshew has bounced around the NFL in his career but is hoping Las Vegas can be a long-term home.
He’s excited about joining the team and working with head coach Antonio Pierce.
“Everything I’ve heard is incredible,” Minshew said of Pierce on the April 19 episode of “The Rush.” “Couldn’t get better reviews; it doesn’t even sound real. Being around him a little bit seems legit, which is really exciting. Just being around the guys in the building, everybody is on the same page. Everybody just wants to get better; everybody wants to win. I think when you do that, I think you have a chance. No matter what you have going on, no matter who’s on the roster, if everybody’s pulling in the same direction, you have a good chance.”
The Raiders went 8-9 last season but were held back by inconsistent quarterback play. Minshew has started 37 games over his career and should be a high-level backup or a solid stopgap starter.
Gardner Minshew Reveals 1st Interaction With Antonio Pierce
Antonio Pierce has already had a major effect on the Raiders’ culture. It’s something that Gardner Minshew noticed immediately when he met the coach. He described the experience of meeting Pierce for the first time.
“It was in the building,” Minshew said. “Saw him out on the field, classic bro hug, fired up, we were both bouncing a little bit. You feel the energy, man. Really excited to get after it with him.”
Pierce is a player-friendly coach and new players are quickly learning that. There’s a reason many Raiders players vouched for him after the season. The coach’s energy was contagious through the 2023 season and it’ll be interesting to see if he can keep that up now that he’s the full-time head coach.
