Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell Deserves Mulligan Week 1 Against the Chargers

As Las Vegas Raiders second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell looks to solidify himself as the team's starter, he may win an opportunity to make up for a forgettable start to his professional career.

Oct 1, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (4) throws as Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) moves in during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders are currently holding a quarterback competition between second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell and former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew. When General Manager Tom Telesco added Minshew to the roster, he did so to give O’Connell competition for the starting position, as the Raiders did not have any other qualified options to battle O’Connell or replace him should the team need to turn to their backup quarterback. 

O’Connell has undoubtedly earned the respect of his teammates in the locker room by playing well during the second half of last season after he was unexpectedly promoted to the starting position midway through the season.

The second-year quarterback is undoubtedly eager to hit the field for training camp after having an entire offseason to train like a starting quarterback. This was something he did not have last season when he entered the league as the Raiders’ third-string quarterback. 

All eyes have been on O’Connell this offseason, and that will continue to be the case during training camp as he looks to solidify himself as the starter. Until then, his 5-4 record down the stretch will be all anyone can look back on to get an idea of how well O’Connell may do this upcoming season. 

However, O’Connell’s story as a starter with the Raiders started well before his start against the New York Giants in Coach Antonio Pierce’s first game at the helm. O’Connell’s story as the Raiders starter technically began as even more of a surprise than his being named the starter for the rest of the season after Josh McDaniels was fired. 

O’Connell was named the team’s starter leading up to the fourth game of last season in Los Angeles against the Chargers. As the team left for Los Angeles, it was widely assumed veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer would be named the team’s starter. McDaniels and the Raiders went with the rookie O’Connell instead.

McDaniels, who may or may not have felt pressured to start the rookie O’Connell over Hoyer, with whom he was much more familiar, left O’Connell out to dry on many occasions during his first career start, a road game against a divisional opponent whose best defensive player was a former Raider with a point to prove against his former team, Khalil Mack.

Mack would dominate the Raiders’ offensive line, making it a long day for the line and the rookie, sacking O’Connell six times. However, neither the line nor the rookie quarterback was given much help by the coaching staff. Per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, McDaniels and the Raiders only double-teamed Mack twice the entire game. Neither of those double teams came on Mack’s six sacks. Few rookie quarterbacks would have succeeded in their first NFL career start under those circumstances. 

The second-year quarterback reportedly has an edge in the competition with Minshew. While a quarterback competition still needs to play out during training camp, the Raiders enter next season with an improved roster and a seemingly competent coaching staff. O’Connell is in a much better situation this time. O’Connell earned the right to battle for the starting position this season. If training camp goes as expected, he will have also earned the right to make up for a forgettable first start to his NFL career.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.