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

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed on Wednesday that quarterback Aidan O'Connell won't play in the preseason finale on Friday against the San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders named Gardner Minshew II as their starting QB earlier this week, and the Raiders will hold both Minshew and O'Connell out of action this weekend, with Carter Bradley and Nathan Peterman set to split the reps under center. The 25-year-old O'Connell will enter his second NFL season as the backup to Minshew, but if Minshew struggles early on, don't be surprised if Pierce gives O'Connell a shot. He went 5-5 as the starter in 2023 after the team moved on from Jimmy Garoppolo, throwing 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Ultimately, experience won out for Pierce, with Minshew having 37 career NFL starts under his belt. For now, O'Connell is merely a QB3/4 bench stash in superflex fantasy leagues.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has yet to decide on a starting quarterback for the preseason opener against the Vikings, but he indicated that both Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O'Connell will each play a quarter. Pierce noted that the order of the starters is not significant because the other quarterback will start the following week. Throughout the offseason, Pierce allowed O'Connell to take the initial reps while equally distributing opportunities with Minshew. Early in camp, neither quarterback has managed to distinguish themselves. Although Minshew appeared to gain an edge over the past week, Pierce has maintained that the situation remains "status quo," with no final decision made. "This preseason game will be very telling," Pierce said of the QB battle. "I want to see these guys manage the ball, lead the team, and handle situational football." The unofficial depth chart for the game also lacks clarity, listing the first-team QB as either O'Connell or Minshew. While neither quarterback is likely to be worth rostering in single-QB leagues, monitoring the situation to determine who will be throwing passes to receiver Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers is essential.

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.