Should the Las Vegas Raiders trot out rookie Aidan O’Connell if Jimmy Garoppolo can’t go in the team’s next game against the Chicago Bears? Let’s face it, Week 7 could be pivotal when considering the teams that come after Chicago—getting above .500 would be huge for Josh McDaniels’ squad.
Earlier in the season, O’Connell made his pro debut against the Los Angeles Chargers. To put it mildly, it was a mixed bag. There were certainly some bright spots as the Purdue product received praise despite the loss. Most notably from All-Pro superstar Davante Adams. If you recall, many Raiders fans disliked the way McDaniels handled his media availability following that game—some going as far as believing he threw his rookie under the bus. Still, the team moved on.
Now, the conundrum facing the Raiders’ brass is whether O’Connell is ready, or if they should ride the hot hand in Brian Hoyer.
If we’re being honest, Hoyer did enough to help the team win—he threw a pair of bombs downfield that equated to what Garoppolo had done all year thus far. On the other hand, with a whole week of preparation under his belt, O’Connell could be the more promising option.
Aidan O’Connell or Brian Hoyer? The Raiders have a tough decision to make…
While giving out some NFL updates on Good Morning Football, insider Ian Rapoport mentioned that Garoppolo could still travel with the team this weekend. At the same time, missing a game is a possibility. What was interesting in Rapoport’s update was the tidbit surrounding O’Connell, stating that “we still could see Aidan O’Connell, the promising rookie, next week.”
Will the Raiders have a “quarterback controversy” soon enough?
Let’s call a spade a spade here—Jimmy Garoppolo is McDaniels’ guy. That much has been established—McDaniels made it clear following O’Connell’s debut that the job belonged to Jimmy G. It does make you wonder: if the result had been different, would we have seen a different outcome at quarterback? What’s done is done, though—Garoppolo will likely need some time to recover.
Let’s say O’Connell gets the start on Sunday, he plays efficiently, and the team wins. Then what? Raiders fans were impressed by how Brian Hoyer handled his backup duties, stretching the field once Garoppolo went down.
Believe it or not, McDaniels could soon have himself a logjam at the quarterback position. First, let’s see who and how the starting signal caller plays in Chicago; then we’ll have a potentially clearer picture moving forward.
*Top Photo: Getty Images