Aidan O’Connell's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce won't announce a starter at quarterback for the team's preseason opener this Saturday against the Minnesota Vikings but said Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell will each get an opportunity to set themselves apart in the QB competition. "Like I said, both quarterbacks are gonna play a legit quarter. Who goes out first and who goes out second really doesn't matter. [They will] get hopefully an equal amount of snaps and opportunity to showcase," Pierce said. The head coach has allowed O'Connell to get the initial reps throughout the offseason but has equaled out the opportunities with Minshew. Through the opening stages of training camp, neither signal-caller has distanced themselves, despite some speculation that Minshew has the slight edge. By all accounts, it sounds as though the Raiders offense has struggled under both Minshew and O'Connell so far.

When asked who the Las Vegas Raiders' starting quarterback is heading into training camp at the end of July, wide receiver Davante Adams thinks it's Aidan O'Connell over newcomer Gardner Minshew. "I want whoever is going to look the best when it's live bullets... I think right now if I had to say, I think Aidan has the job," Adams said. O'Connell has the experience running the offense from 2023, but given the two-year, $25 million investment in Minshew this offseason, it wouldn't be a surprise if Minshew takes the job from O'Connell in camp and the preseason. Both signal-callers didn't look great during OTAs and minicamp, and O'Connell was up and down in 10 starts in 2023 in his rookie season. Whoever wins the Raiders job under center to open the 2024 campaign will be a low-end QB2 option for fantasy managers in superflex formats.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell split snaps with the starters during offseason team activities and will continue to do so when training camp begins later this month. Both signal-callers got off to rough starts during OTAs and struggled with accuracy, turned the ball over too much and failed to consistently push the ball down the field. They are both learning offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's scheme, but they both still have a ways to go. The front office and coaching staff are confident that Minshew or O'Connell will separate themselves in training camp and the preseason. It will depend on performance, but it wouldn't be a surprise if both Minshew and O'Connell take the field at some point in 2024. Minshew is probably the favorite given his experience and ability to make plays with his legs.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell was unexpectedly moved into the starting role last season after veterans Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer flamed out and head coach Josh McDaniels was fired. The Purdue product completed 62.1% of his passes for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He played well enough to contend to be the starting in 2024, but he'll have to beat out Gardner Minshew II. Hoyer, a 15-year NFL veteran, isn't counting O'Connell out. "Maybe I'm biased," Hoyer said. "But I think what Aidan did last year -- I know he hasn't shown it as much as Gardner Minshew has throughout his career -- but I know the guys really gravitated to the way Aidan took over and his leadership as a young player." O'Connell has familiarity with the organization and chemistry with Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, so he could have a slight edge in the battle for the QB1 spot. If he wins the job, he might have underrated value in Superflex and two-QB formats.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterbacks Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minshew II continue to split reps during offseason programs, but there's no clear favorite for the starting job, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. "While they've both taken quickly to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's system, neither stood out much during practices," Reed wrote. "The defense decidedly had the upper hand regardless of who was at quarterback." Both quarterbacks will have plenty of opportunities to compete over the next couple of months, but for the time being, fantasy managers must continue to grapple with the uncertainty out of Las Vegas as they prepare their rosters for the 2024 season. Whichever signal caller wins the job would be a high-end fantasy QB3 by Week 1.