O'Connell has been unavailable since breaking his thumb in Week 7. In his absence, the Raiders have lost four straight while starting Gardner Minshew, who netted 199.5 passing yards per game and 5.54 yards per dropback while turning the ball over four times.The #Raiders are preparing to start Aidan O’Connell at QB on Friday against the #Chiefs, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 26, 2024
On IR since breaking his thumb in Week 7, O’Connell returned to practice Monday and got the first-team reps. As long as the week goes well, it’s AOC time again. pic.twitter.com/XoVHAOuJK9
O'Connell entered the league in 2023 as a fourth-round pick and was a pleasant surprise for the Raiders, winning five of his 10 starts, including a Christmas day shocker over the Kansas City Chiefs. For his career, O'Connell has totalled 2673 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
Minshew suffered a broken collar bone in the Raiders' Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos that will render him unavailable for the rest of the season, so O'Connell will have a chance to start the Raiders' final six games. His only immediate competition for the role is Desmond Ridder, who lost a fumble on his first drive in relief on Minshew against the Broncos. Theoretically, the Raiders could also pursue a free agent like Daniel Jones.
Ultimately, O'Connell was a mid-round pick by a head coach and general manager who are no longer with the Raiders, so he'll need to be truly impressive if he's going to significantly impact his future prospects with the team. Barring a truly miraculous run by O'Connell in the season's final six games, the Raiders will be looking to draft a quarterback high this offseason.
Photo Credit: © Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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