By now, we’ve all heard the hype surrounding Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell. Some of it is justified given how impressive he’s looked on film. On the other hand, maybe we ought to pump the brakes just a little bit, right?
Former NFL WR Gives Hefty Prediction Regarding Aidan O’Connell
One person who isn’t pumping the brakes is former All-Pro wideout and 2005 AP Comeback Player of the Year, Steve Smith Sr. In fact, Smith took it a step further recently. He gave a bold prediction for the 2023 NFL season, stating that O’Connell will at some point be the Raiders’ starting quarterback.
“Will this be two years in a row that Jimmy Garoppolo loses his starting job to a rookie? Two.”
As most NFL fans are aware, Brock Purdy ended up taking the reins when Garoppolo went down last year. However, that was then, and this is now. It’s a completely different team with a different setup. Brian Hoyer is the de facto QB2, even if head coach Josh McDaniels remains mull on naming an official backup. Still, the belief among many fans is that you might as well throw O’Connell out there and see how he can perform and develop. Quite the opposite of “settling” for what many in Raider Nation seem to find uninspiring with “Jimmy G.”
Raiders’ Rookie Gets An “A” For His Preseason Run
Smith isn’t the only one bestowing heavy praise on O’Connell at the moment. Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon recently graded each of the league’s rookie signal-callers in terms of preseason performance. Well, all things considered, it shouldn’t shock anyone that AOC4 received an “A” for his stellar performance in each of his appearances.
“Aidan O’Connell played so well that it became reasonable to wonder if the Raiders might cut veteran Brian Hoyer. They ended up keeping Hoyer, but O’Connell established himself as the backup-in-waiting. He went 43-of-62 for 482 yards (7.8 per attempt) with three touchdowns and zero picks, also taking a single sack.”
Following O’Connell’s impressive debut against the San Francisco 49ers, it was full steam ahead as the Purdue product gained national attention. Since then, many more have bought into the hype, and deservedly so. In fact, given Garoppolo’s health history, believing O’Connell could end up as the starter at some point this season isn’t too far-fetched.
*Top Photo: Getty Images