The Las Vegas Raiders might have an intriguing trade piece for any team not happy or convinced with their backup QB situation. In the Raiders’ 22-20 win over the Houston Texans on Aug. 20, Aidan O’Connell showed that he can be a QB2.
O’Connell played the entire second half against the Texans, going 15-for-24 on his pass attempts for 166 passing yards and a QB rating of 83.0. Moreover, it was with O’Connell that the Raiders came back to defeat Houston.
As a result, could O’Connell’s trade value be increasing? The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen floated the idea during the Detroit Lions‘ preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 22 that one of these two teams should be calling Las Vegas for O’Connell.
“Lions should make a call for AOC,” Nguyen wrote on X on Aug. 22.
Jared Goff is the Lions’ starter, but should he go down at any point during the season, does Detroit have someone who can hold their season together? In the game against the Commanders, the Lions ran out Joshua Dobbs and Luke Altmyer.
Dobbs is a veteran journeyman with NFL experience, while Altmyer is an undrafted free agent the Lions signed this past offseason. If neither of these players impresses in the game against the Commanders and in the final preseason game, Detroit might need to improve its backup situation.
What Would Aidan O’Connell Bring to a Team
Since coming into the league in 2023 as a fourth-round pick, O’Connell has seen the field, with most of his playing time coming in 2023 and 2024. Still, he’s put up respectable numbers for a backup that might entice a team to make a trade.
O’Connell has a completion percentage of 62.0, 3,932 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, per PFF. Nonetheless, with the Raiders, he’ll likely be QB3 behind Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza.
As a result, the Raiders could likely get a Day 3 pick for O’Connell from any team not satisfied with their backup QB. Whether it’s listening to offers now or around the trade deadline, Las Vegas might have a trade chip in O’Connell, and his value could increase with a solid performance against the San Francisco 49ers in their final preseason game.
Former Raiders HC Antonio Pierce on QB Situation
Speaking of the Raiders’ QB position, former Las Vegas head coach Antonio Pierce spoke to CBS Sports and shared his thoughts on the signal-caller position.
“I’m all about competition, and I think they’re in a great situation,” Pierce said in an Aug. 21 video from CBS Sports. “If you have a Kirk Cousins and the No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza, as your backup, that’s great options, right? A little different than what I had when I was coaching there at the Raiders.
“But I think for them, I would like to see competition, and I think the team would like to see that position compete at a high level. But I also understand protecting your franchise quarterback for the next amount of years, letting him watch a veteran like Kirk Cousins, learning from him, not throwing him out there in the fire Week 1.”
Lions Get Intriguing Message on Raiders’ Aidan O’Connell