Aidan O’Connell was looking like a dead man walking when the Las Vegas Raiders signed Kirk Cousins, drafted Fernando Mendoza and added undrafted free agent quarterback Jacob Clark. The team isn’t going to keep four quarterbacks on the roster. Cousins and Mendoza are taking two of the spots, so O’Connell has to prove it’s worth it to keep him over Clark.
So far, he has looked good in OTAs, which will certainly help his chances. At the same time, there’s no future in Las Vegas for him. Either Cousins or Mendoza will start this season, and whoever doesn’t start will be the backup.
The best O’Connell can hope for is being QB3 for the team. However, he could still have value as a backup to another team. It’s still possible that the Raiders trade O’Connell. If that happens, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton believes that the quarterback is worth a 2027 sixth-round pick or a 2028 sixth-round pick.
“Based on O’Connell’s passing numbers, he’s a high-end backup and capable fill-in starter,” Moton wrote. “However, O’Connell has been inconsistent with his deep-ball placement. He doesn’t move well in the pocket and has battled injuries over the last two years.
“O’Connell will be a free agent in 2027. So, teams may not be aggressive with offers for him while he’s third on the Raiders’ depth chart behind Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza. That said, O’Connell looked sharp at organized team activities this week and could generate some trade buzz this summer.”
Should Raiders Trade O’Connell?
If a team is willing to trade for O’Connell, the Raiders should listen. He’s proven that he can at least be serviceable. He has thrown 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions throughout his career. He likely should’ve started more games in 2024 and possibly last season, too.
O’Connell could be improved since we last saw him start a game. The problem for him is that there’s no future in Las Vegas. He’s in a contract year, and unless the Raiders think he could be Mendoza’s long-term backup, he’s not going to get another contract.
Plenty of teams need capable backups, so they could be watching the O’Connell situation.
Teams That Could Be Interested in O’Connell
The most obvious team that could take a flyer on O’Connell is the New England Patriots. They need an upgrade at backup quarterback, and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the head coach of the Raiders when O’Connell was drafted. He’d be an easy fit.
The Jacksonville Jaguars may also want to keep an eye on him. They don’t have a great backup quarterback option. Starter Trevor Lawrence has dealt with injury issues in his career, so they need a solid backup.
The Green Bay Packers could also be in the mix. Malik Willis left for the Miami Dolphins this offseason, so their backup position is a bit unsettled. Similar to Lawrence, Jordan Love has missed games due to injury. It’s important for Green Bay to have a backup who can keep the team afloat. These are just playoff teams. There could be plenty of other teams out there willing to give up a pick for O’Connell.
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