REPORT: What if O'Connell is Better than Everyone Thinks?

The Las Vegas Raiders undoubtedly need a quarterback but is Aidan O'Connell better than he gets credit for?

Jan 5, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (12) enters the field before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders need to add a quarterback this offseason, either via the NFL Draft or free agency. The Raiders have one of the top picks in the draft and are within striking distance of trading up for one of the top quarterbacks.

They also have over $100 million to spend in free agency to improve their roster with veterans from other teams. While the Raiders have various ways of enhancing their quarterback room, they may already have a viable option to start at quarterback next season.

That is, if they give him the chance.

Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell showed promise while on the field after playing sparingly this season but increasingly more over the season's final quarter. He nearly led the Raiders to a second consecutive victory against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and helped the team snap a 10-game winning streak by winning two games late in the season.

It could be argued those two wins did more harm than good, but they still showed O'Connell's potential. Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network recently ranked the quarterbacks throughout the league and ranked O'Connell the 20th-best quarterback.

This was one spot ahead of New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

"Did Aidan O’Connell do enough in the 2024 season to prove he deserves a shot at starting next year," Rolfe asked. "The answer is not a definitive yes, but there is no other obvious option to take the job. The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to draft a quarterback this year, but will he be ready to start immediately? They could try and get Kirk Cousins or another veteran, but there’s no guarantee of a significant upgrade over O’Connell.

"Other than excelling in the clutch and ranking inside the top 12 when it comes to playing under pressure (-0.20 EPA/DB), there is not much to get excited about with O’Connell. He ranks 27th in nYPA (6.3), 30th in third-down conversion rate (33.3%), and is just 17th in overall EPA/DB (0.05). 

"We should apply the contest that O’Connell played with a 22nd-ranked offensive line and a relatively low-level skill-position group. Brock Bowers is a talent, but Jakobi Meyers is not a No. 1 receiver. There was also no consistency in the run game for O’Connell to lean on, so these numbers need to be heavily caveated. Hopefully, he gets a chance in better circumstances in 2025."

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