There’s been lots of chatter about how the Las Vegas Raiders‘ starting quarterback will be in 2024 but Aidan O’Connell hasn’t been given much consideration. He went 5-5 in 10 starts last season but started playing well toward the end. He went 3-1 in the final four games while throwing eight touchdowns and zero interceptions.
However, his perceived lack of athletic upside has led many to write him off as a potential long-term starter. Regardless, the Raiders will have a competition for who the starting quarterback will be and that’s a position O’Connell’s most comfortable in.
“There’s going to be competition, this is the best of the best,” O’Connell said during his April 15 media availability. “I’m just trying to do my best. It’s new at this level, but I’ve had to deal with this even as early as high school.”
The Raiders signed Gardner Minshew in free agency to a $25 million contract and there’s a good chance he’s the favorite to start for now. O’Connell isn’t looking at him as a rival, though.
“I’ve been a big fan of his for a long time because of his story,” O’Connell said of Minshew. “It’s important in a QB room to be supportive.”
Aidan O’Connell Has Been Working Hard This Offseason
Aidan O’Connell could have a leg up over Gardner Minshew due to the fact that he was with the Raiders last season. He knows the players and many of the coaches. Plus, he revealed that he only took a couple of weeks off after the season before he was back working on his game.
“You’re with your guys the whole offseason in college,” O’Connell said. “I took a couple of weeks off right after the season to get away from football and rest my mind, but I like to be doing stuff throughout the year. So, even in those couple weeks, I got a little stir-crazy. I was itching to get back.”
If the Raiders don’t draft a quarterback early, there’s a good chance O’Connell will seriously compete to win the starting job.
Welcome to the NFL Aidan O’Connell!
Aidan O’Connell Working on Leadership
One aspect that Aidan O’Connell needs to improve is his leadership. The starting quarterback is typically the face of the franchise but O’Connell can be a little quiet. Now that he has a year and 10 starts under his belt, O’Connell should be developing as a leader and it’s something he’s working on.
“I think it definitely depends on your role,” O’Connell said. “And reflecting, I definitely could have done a better job of that last season. And it’s hard as a rookie, my head was spinning, and I was trying to figure it out on the fly. And so there’s aspects to playing quarterback more than just throwing the football and running the plays that are called. So, yeah, that’s definitely something I’m trying to develop and be better at, and also just being myself and putting my best foot forward every day. I think definitely leading by example is important, but as a quarterback I know I have to be vocal. So, there’s a combination of things I’m definitely working on, like I said, and this offseason was a good time to reflect and work on those things.”
Showing that he can lead the offense and the team as a whole would go a long way in helping him win the starting quarterback job.
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Raiders’ Aidan O’Connell Sends Message on Gardner Minshew Competition