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After a four-touchdown performance in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Aidan O’Connell has likely solidified himself as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ starting quarterback for the rest of the season. While Jimmy Garoppolo didn’t play well as a starter, he’s one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL.
Despite the fact that the Raiders have good depth at the position, they are looking into adding another quarterback. According to the December 19 NFL transaction wire, Las Vegas brought in former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Anthony Brown for a workout.
Brown was an undrafted free agent signing of the Ravens in 2022 after being the starter for the Oregon Ducks in 2021. He was forced to start a game for Baltimore last season due to injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. He threw for 302 yards and two intercpetions in two games for the Ravens.
Brown spent the offseason with Baltimore but was released after training camp. He hasn’t been able to land on a roster this season. Brown is just 25 so perhaps the Raiders want to bring some more youth to the quarterback room. If he gets signed, it will almost certainly be on the practice squad. He could also be a player the team decides to bring in after the season and see what he can do in the offseason.
Aidan O’Connell Named ‘Offensive Player of the Week’
It’s been an up-and-down season for Aidan O’Connell. The rookie fourth-round pick wasn’t expected to start considering the Raiders gave a three-year contract to Jimmy Garoppolo prior to the season. O’Connell was thrust into the starting position following head coach Josh McDaniels getting fired.
In Week 14, O’Connell led an offense that scored zero points against the Minnesota Vikings and there were questions about whether or not he would get benched. He responded by having the best game of his career against the Chargers.
For that, NBC Sports’ Peter King named O’Connell “Offensive Player of the Week.”
“O’Connell could play in the league for 15 years and not have a 20-minute stretch like the one he had Thursday night in the last 20 of the first half,” King wrote in a December 18 column. “O’Connell threw touchdown passes of 30, 22, 11 and 20 yards (occasionally encountering Charger players who actually were trying) while leading Vegas to a 42-0 halftime lead. He finished with 248 passing yards and 120.7 rating in the 63-21 beatdown of L.A.”
Can Aidan O’Connell Be a Starter in 2024?
It’s going to take more than an impressive game against a bad Chargers defense for the Raiders to commit to Aidan O’Connell going forward. While he’s proven that he’s accurate and a good pocket passer, his lack of mobility is a real concern. The modern NFL favors quarterbacks who can make plays with their legs.
O’Connell has three games left this season to prove he can function as a starter in the NFL. The Raiders will be heavily linked to quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft and the only way O’Connell can quiet those rumors is to play very well for the rest of the year. Even then, the Raiders will likely evaluate the position. O’Connell can definitely be a very good backup in the NFL but he’s still got a lot to prove before the Raiders can trust him to be the long-term starter.
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