Aidan O’Connell’s career with the Las Vegas Raiders has seen significant ups and downs since his draft selection in 2023. Things began with him getting a start early in Josh McDaniels’ second year, where he had an encouraging performance. Since then, his tenure as a starter for the Raiders has been inconsistent and unpredictable.
Now, he’s heading into the third year of his rookie contract. Finally, it seems like the quarterback position is secure in Las Vegas, but that will likely keep O’Connell out of any meaningful playing time. Looking at his current situation, would it be wise for the Raiders to keep him around on the roster? Let’s take a closer look.
Analyzing Aidan O’Connell’s Production Through Two Seasons
Through his young career, O’Connell has appeared in 20 games and started 17 of them. He’s completed 62.6 percent of his attempts and has 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. He’s thrown for 3,830 yards and has a passer rating of 85.1.
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These numbers give a good representation of what Aidan O’Connell is as a quarterback, but it’s also important to keep in mind the context of the Raiders’ situation. He has his good moments and can win you games at times, but he’s too often inconsistent. If he was slightly more consistent, he might be able to be a game-manager type of starter, but he’s not a quarterback who’s going to take your team to the next level.
With that said, the Raiders’ offensive situation in general has been brutal recently. He’s had poor play callers, and the Raiders’ WR1, Davante Adams, left the team early in the 2024 season. While O’Connell hasn’t excelled, he hasn’t received any special treatment either. He’s worked for every opportunity given, if that accounts for anything.
Why The Raiders Should Keep Aidan O’Connell Through 2027
The Raiders probably don’t intend to make O’Connell their starter again. But that doesn’t mean they should let him go, either.
O’Connell’s rookie contract runs through the 2026 season. Thereafter, he’ll be a free agent. By the time 2027 rolls around, the Raiders’ current starter, Geno Smith, will be heading into the final year of his deal. It’s challenging to predict how the quarterback position in Las Vegas might evolve at that time.
Even with Smith going into the first year of his deal, some wanted Las Vegas to draft a quarterback this year anyways. That didn’t happen, and it appears that Pete Carroll is content with his former quarterback in Seattle. However, by the time his current contract runs out, Smith will be heading into his late 30s.
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At any time over the next three years, the Raiders could draft his eventual successor. For O’Connell, that makes things complicated. Las Vegas should make an effort to keep him in a backup role, though. He has familiarity with the franchise and has proven he can step in and put forth some quality quarterback play at times. He’s not consistent enough to be a starter but certainly could be a better backup option than what most teams around the league have.
O’Connell’s story with the Raiders has been a complicated one so far. Despite that, they should try and keep him on the roster going forward. You never know when an injury might occur, and the Raiders have a decent safety blanket in Aidan O’Connell.
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