Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell.
The Las Vegas Raiders listened to the players when the team decided to hire Antonio Pierce as the full-time head coach. While defensive end Maxx Crosby was the most vocal about his support, many players felt the same way behind the scenes.
Crosby went so far as to threaten a trade request if Pierce wasn’t retained. It’s a big deal when a team captain and All-Pro player threatens a trade request but quarterback Aidan O’Connell revealed that the players on the roster were in support of the defensive end.
“I think we were unanimous in feeling the same way,” O’Connell told Heavy Sports in a February 5 interview on Radio Row. “I think most guys would echo what he was saying. A.P. came into a tough situation with not a lot of coaching experience and did a great job. The guys really believe. … We were in every game that he was coaching so we have confidence he’s the right coach for us.”
The Raiders went 5-4 after Pierce took over as interim head coach but three of those losses were by seven points or less.
Got to speak to Aidan O’Connell and Jakobi Meyers on Radio Row, courtesy of @Bounty. Asked the two about Maxx Crosby’s trade threat
Aidan O’Connell Talks Rise Starting to Job
Aidan O’Connell went into the 2023 season as the third quarterback behind Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer. Following Josh McDaniels’ firing in Week 9, he was given the keys to the offense.
It wasn’t always a smooth ride for O’Connell, who threw for 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 appearances this, but he never really had the chance to process the position he was put in.
“You don’t really have time to I think is kind of part of it,” O’Connell told Heavy Sports when asked how he was able to process the rapid rise to the starting role. “You just kind of get thrown into it. Baptism by fire. I think the whole rookie experience is difficult. You start with preseason, college season, combine training, draft, right into wherever they go. I kind of just had to figure it out as I went along. And guys like [Jakobi Meyers], older guys, who’ve been through the rookie experience in the early years. I think I was in a really cool spot and had a lot of great teammates.”
Across O’Connell’s final four starts, he went 3-1 and threw eight touchdowns and zero intercpetions. He showed a lot of improvement and could be in the mix to be the starting quarterback for the Raiders season.
Aidan O’Connell & Jakobi Meyers Partner With Bounty
Aidan O’Connell, along with wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, were at Radio Row in Las Vegas to discuss their partnership with Bounty and how vital paper towels are to the Super Bowl gameday experiment.
“I’ve used Bounty my whole life,” O’Connell told Heavy Sports. “There are a lot of messes to clean when you’re one of six kids so the house was normally dirty. We were using Bounty to wipe up any mess. Obviously, during the Super Bowl, there are going to be a lot of wings being eaten so Bounty will help clean up all the sauce on your face.”
Meyers echoed O’Connell’s thoughts on the brand.
“We were all boys, “Meyers told Heavy Sports about his relationship with Bounty, “so wiping it down with Bounty meant it was clean.”