Bucs Player Who Injured Aidan O’Connell Has Message for Raiders QB

The Las Vegas Raiders were hoping to have Aidan O’Connell be their starting quarterback for the rest of the season but that likely won’t be the case anymore. In the third quarter of the Week 14 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, O’Connell was rolling out toward the sideline when defensive lineman Calijah Kancey pushed him to the ground after he threw the ball.

The quarterback wasn’t able to get back up and had to put his leg in an air cast before they transferred him to a cart that got him off the field. The Raiders were not pleased that no penalty for roughing the passer was called and are going to appeal to the NFL.

In the meantime, Kancey made sure to send his best wishes to O’Connell amid the injury.

“Prayers to him,” Kancey said of O’Connell after the game, via Greg Auman of FOX Sports. “I pray for a speedy recovery. I hope everything’s good on their end. I definitely took a knee and prayed for him.”

Kancey may not have been hit with a penalty but he could face a fine if the NFL reviews the footage and deem that he hit O’Connell too late.

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Aidan O’Connell Likely out for Season

Considering O’Connell’s leg had to be placed in an air cast before he was carted away, it’s likely that the injury to his knee is very serious. The Raiders haven’t confirmed his status yet, but according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, the team believes that he suffered a season-ending injury.

That shouldn’t come as a surprise but the bigger question is just how long will O’Connell be out. Depending on the severity of the injury, there’s a chance it could linger going into next season. Even if he can play at the start of next year, he could miss all of training camp. This is a tough blow for a young quarterback trying to prove that he should be a starter in the NFL.

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Desmond Ridder Excited for Starting Opportunity

Now that O’Connell is likely done for the year, the Raiders should turn to Desmond Ridder as the starter. It appeared that his chances of being a starter again were minimal considering how poorly he played with the Atlanta Falcons last season.

The Raiders brought him in this season to provide depth but didn’t appear to have plans to start him. Now they may not have a choice. Regardless, Ridder is looking for the chance to be a starter again.

“Obviously, the team and the game that we’re going to play next week is going to be big, and it’s obviously a huge stage, but this team’s excited,” Ridder said in his postgame media availability. “This team’s ready to just get a win, ready to put four quarters together, 60 minutes together, to be able to go out there and, at the end of the day, put up more points than the other team. How we do that, we’ve got to figure that out.”

Ridder will face his former team, the Falcons, on Monday Night Football in Week 14.

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