Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell
The Aidan O’Connell hype train is gaining some traction. The fourth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2023 NFL Draft has turned heads with his impressive performances in the preseason.
While he hasn’t had to play against top competition quite yet, he’s showing big-time potential as a rookie. He’s been so impressive that some are starting to compare him to the greatest quarterback of all time, who also happened to be a late-round pick.
“He’s got a good-enough arm, he’s good in terms of accuracy, he has a good feel for the passing game and he’s got good feet too,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said on the August 21 episode of “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “The only thing he really couldn’t do was move … he’s a classic NFL pocket passer.
“Well, who does that sound like the profile on? Another guy who went later in the draft – Tom Brady.”
Now, it’s far too early to compare O’Connell to a three-time MVP but the similarities are definitely there. The two have similar throwing motions and athletic profiles. They also share a coach in Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels, who was Brady’s offensive coordinator for years with the New England Patriots.
“Who does that sound like the profile on? Another guy who went later in the draft — Tom Brady.”
— @TomPelissero discusses Aidan O’Connell hype
Insider Believes Aidan O’Connell Has Earned Backup Job
The future could be bright for Aidan O’Connell but he has to start a regular season game before the Raiders will know exactly what they have in him. That’s unlikely to happen this season unless Jimmy Garoppolo gets hurt. As of now, O’Connell is the third quarterback on the roster behind Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer.
However, he may be closing in on taking over Hoyer’s spot as the No. 2 quarterback, per Tashan Reed of The Athletic.
“In my eyes, O’Connell has already shown enough to be named the backup,” Reed wrote in an August 21 column. “He didn’t play until the second half against the Rams — Jimmy Garoppolo played the opening series, and Brian Hoyer took the remainder of the first-half snaps — so he hasn’t earned that role just yet. Still, it’s clear he’s the best alternative if Garoppolo misses any time. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns. He already looks comfortable, calm and in control of the offense. He’s not perfect — he missed Tre Tucker badly on a deep ball — but he’s clearly a more viable option than Hoyer, whose outing included a bad pick six.”
The Raiders still have one more preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. If O’Connell put together another strong performance, he may force his way into being Garoppolo’s primary backup.
Jimmy Garoppolo’s Injury History Makes Backup Job Important
In a perfect world, Jimmy Garoppolo will be able to play all 17 regular season games for the Raiders this season. However, that’s something he’s never done since the NFL extended the regular season to 17 games in 2021. The last time Garoppolo has been able to play every regular season game was back in 2019. In fact, that was the only season he was able to stay healthy.
Garoppolo’s injury history makes the Raiders backup quarterback job very important. It’s possible that whoever is behind Garoppolo will have to play in 2023. Brian Hoyer is entering his 15th year in the NFL but hasn’t won a start since 2016. O’Connell has never played a regular season game so he’s still an unknown. The Raiders will have a big decision to make if Garoppolo has to miss any time this season.