Raiders Sticking With Aidan O’Connell As Starting QB vs. Chargers, per Report

Coach Antonio Pierce was noncommittal about the starting role earlier this week following the team’s 3-0 loss to the Vikings.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce will stick with rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell as the the team’s starter for their Thursday night game vs. the Chargers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday.

Pierce was noncommittal earlier on Wednesday about who would start on Thursday night following the team’s 3–0 loss to the Vikings.

“We’re still going through that process,” Pierce said, via Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Got a couple more hours. See how it’s going.”

O’Connell has started the last five games for the Raiders. Jimmy Garoppolo began the season as the team’s signal-caller, but was benched the same week that coach Josh McDaniels was fired. Fans wondered if Pierce’s non-answer meant Garoppolo had a chance to return. Now, it appears that Las Vegas will stick with O’Connell under center.

Despite Raiders’ HC Antonio Pierce being noncommittal about which QB would start Thursday night vs. the Chargers, rookie QB Aidan O’Connell is expected to remain the starter for this week’s game, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 13, 2023

O’Connell has posted a 2–3 record in his starts this season. Through seven game appearances, he’s thrown for 1,365 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Thursday’s matchup will be another showdown of the backup quarterbacks as the Chargers plan to start Easton Stick with Justin Herbert now out for the season. This will mark Stick’s first career start.