There are a lot of eyes on the quarterback position when it comes to the Raiders.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce says quarterback Aidan O’Connell will compete for the starting job in training camp.
“At the end of the day, listen, Aidan O’Connell played his ass off. He did a helluva job for us,” Pierce told NFL Network.
Pierce would also go on to say “You’re talking about a kid that has the mental toughness to play in the National Football League. Whatever happens and whatever we do, it has to go through Aidan O’Connell. Being honest with you because he’s earned that right.”
This will be Pierce’s first full season as a coach since taking over for Josh McDaniels in the middle of the season. Aidan O”Connell was then placed in the starting job shortly after.
The Raiders selected O’Connell in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. This past season, he took over the starting job after Jimmy Garoppolo was benched in Week 9. In 10 starts, O’Connell went 5-5, having 2,218 passing yards with 12 touchdowns to 7 interceptions.
It wasn’t all on just him, but the The Raiders’ offense struggled under O’Connell. The Raiders offense would end up ranking 26th in offensive success rate from Weeks 9-18. The defensive side of the ball, however, showed promise: It was second in EPA/play during that stretch. For having a rookie quarterback, the Raiders showed real promise in some football games.
Las Vegas signed quarterback Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract in free agency. He has 37 career starts, including 13 last season with the Indianapolis Colts. Minshew went 7-6 and helped the Colts stay in playoff contention after rookie Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
After finishing the season 8-9, Las Vegas owns the No. 13 pick in the upcoming NFL draft in April. This leaves them with a few options, from the ability to trade up for a quarterback or to stay put and grab one of the quarterbacks who are still on the board.
However, Pierce says he’ll leave that decision to the team’s general manager, Tom Telesco.
“He’s done it for a long time. I got a lot of trust in him. I think he’s seen it wherever he’s been,” Pierce said. “Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, becomes a GM with the Chargers, Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert. So he knows something about quarterbacks. So I’m going to let him figure it out.”
The Raiders hired Pierce on a full-time basis this offseason after he filled in as their interim head coach last season. He led Las Vegas to a 5-4 record after the team got off to a 3-5 start under Josh McDaniels. Pierce seems to be bringing back the “Raider way,” which has been lost for a few years now.
When it comes to O’Connell, it is going to be an interesting offseason, and even future, with the Raiders. He could be anywhere from the starting quarterback, to the third or fourth stringer, to even the Raiders or someone else’s practice squad. We will have to keep our eyes on the Raiders quarterback situation to see what unfolds.
Jaden Chandler-Parnell, or “JC” is a Sports & Sports Betting Insider for Stare Down Sports. You can Follow him on X @Jaden95Chandler
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