The Las Vegas Raiders have a lot of exciting things going for them right now, but all eyes are going to be watching Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza closely this offseason. However, people might not be talking about Aidan O’Connell enough.
When he’s gotten a chance to play, he’s done well, having thrown 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in his career. There’s been talk about the Raiders trying to trade him, but he might not even be out of the mix to start this season.
New head coach Klint Kubiak has been impressed with the young quarterback so far this offseason.
“We’re giving guys a fair share of reps, and I would not count Aidan out,” Kubiak said during Raiders Media Day. “Aidan’s had a phenomenal offseason. He’s a professional. He’s pushing Kirk, he’s pushing Fernando. I think John (Spytek) has given us a great group of three guys to work with … so we’ve just got to give them reps and make sure all three of those guys get time with the ones, and it’ll reveal itself.
“I think if we went and played the game tomorrow, I’d take any one of those three quarterbacks. I’m really excited about all three of them.”
Does O’Connell Actually Have a Chance to Start?
It’s easy to take Kubiak’s comments with a grain of salt. The Raiders gave Cousins good money this offseason and used the No. 1 pick on Mendoza, which is one of the most valuable assets a team can have.
O’Connell is going to have to grossly outplay both of them if he’s going to get a chance to start. There’s a better chance that he ends up getting traded, but this does help his chances of not getting cut outright.
The Raiders clearly think he has some value. Perhaps he could even be the long-term backup for Mendoza, but his chances of actually playing any snaps in Las Vegas this season are very low.
Mendoza Is Going to Start Eventually
Even if O’Connell somehow outplays Cousins and Mendoza enough to earn the starting job in Week 1, keeping it would be very difficult. At some point, the Raiders are going to want to see what they have in Mendoza.
There’s a good chance they’ll start the season with Cousins, but everybody is going to be eager to watch the No. 1 pick play. There’s also the fact that he’s easily the most physically gifted quarterback on the roster. CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles projects Cousins to get the first run in 2026, but Mendoza will be playing before the season’s halfway mark.
“Cousins will open the season as the starter,” Pereles wrote. “How far he goes is TBD. The Raiders have a manageable start — Dolphins, at Chargers, at Saints — before a rough stretch of Chiefs, at Patriots, Bills, Rams.
“Let’s circle Week 8 at the Jets as a strong possibility for Mendoza to make his first start. As strongly as Brady feels about not playing youngsters too early, he feels equally strongly about not tolerating mediocre quarterback play. Mendoza, if healthy, will take the reins before the season’s halfway through.”
Klint Kubiak Won’t Rule out Making Big Move With Aidan O’Connell