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Aidan O’Connell

Raiders QB Geno Smith Suffers Quad Contusion

November 8th, 2025 at 9:59am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Raiders quarterback Geno Smith suffered a quad contusion in Thursday night’s loss to the Broncos, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Smith was injured on a first-down scramble in the fourth quarter. Backup Kenny Pickett came in for two plays, but Smith emerged from the blue medical tent for the Raiders’ next offensive series. The injury is unlikely to keep the veteran quarterback out for long; the Raiders’ mini-bye before Week 11 could give him enough time to heal up.

However, Smith is having his worst season since taking over as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback in 2022. He has thrown only 11 touchdowns and a league-high 12 interceptions for a 81.4 passer rating, the fourth-lowest in the NFL. The Raiders offense as a whole ranks 30th in points and total offense.

Smith has struggled enough to raise questions abut the Raiders’ short- and long-term future at quarterback. Pickett seems unlikely to be an improvement, but 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell has looked, at a minimum, competent in 17 starts across his first two seasons. He is 7-10 as a starter with an 85.1 career passer rating; he’s also under contract in 2026. He could take over for Smith this season and potential be a bridge quarterback next year if the Raiders do not acquire a new option this offseason.

Smith, meanwhile, signed a two-year, $75MM extension after he was traded to Las Vegas earlier this year. Currently, $18.5MM of his 2026 salary is fully guaranteed, and a guarantee on the remaining $8MM vests early in the 2026 league year, per OverTheCap. That gives the Raiders a brief window in March to move on from the 12-year veteran with only $18.5MM in dead money (as Smith did not receiving a signing bonus with his new deal). Las Vegas would have paid Smith $58.5MM for one season – minus any salary offsets if he signs elsewhere – but they would then be able to reset on the false start to the Pete Carroll era.

Raiders Open Practice Window For Aidan O’Connell

October 29th, 2025 at 11:45am CST by Connor Byrne

Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell has been out all season with a fractured wrist, but a return may be on the horizon. The Raiders opened the signal-caller’s practice window on Wednesday, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. They’ll have 21 days to activate O’Connell from IR.

A fourth-round pick from Purdue in 2023, O’Connell combined for 17 starts through last season under former head coach Antonio Pierce. O’Connell completed 62.6% of passes with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his first two NFL seasons, but that wasn’t enough to keep his starting job.

With new head coach Pete Carroll at the helm, he reunited with ex-Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith in an offseason trade. The Raiders gave up a third-round selection for Smith and quickly signed him to a two-year, $75MM extension, making him the team’s unquestioned QB1.

Smith’s arrival left O’Connell as the Raiders’ backup, but his injury in their preseason finale threw a wrench into those plans. The Raiders subsequently traded for another veteran QB, Kenny Pickett, whom they acquired from the Browns for a 2026 fifth-rounder.

The investments in Smith and Pickett haven’t paid off for the Raiders, who are off to a 2-5 start and sitting in last place in an otherwise loaded AFC West division. With more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (seven), Smith ranks 30th in the league in QBR. The team pulled him for Pickett in a 31-0 blowout loss to the Chiefs in Week 7. Pickett attempted his first two passes of the year in that game and completed them for a total of eight yards.

With the Raiders now coming off their bye week, Smith is still the starter heading into Sunday’s game against Jacksonville. If Smith continues to struggle mightily over the next few weeks, perhaps Pickett or O’Connell (or both) will see time under center later in the season.

Raiders Place QB Aidan O’Connell On IR

August 27th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Ely Allen

The Raiders have announced the placement of injured quarterback Aidan O’Connell on injured reserve today. The transaction comes a day after many thought it would.

Each NFL team is allotted two players that it can place on injured reserve before the roster cut deadline with a designation to return, allowing them to be activated to the 53-man roster four weeks after the start of the regular season. Any other players placed on IR before the deadline will remain on IR for the entire year.

When news came out two days before the deadline that O’Connell was expected to miss six to eight weeks with a fractured wrist, it was expected that he would be one of the two for Las Vegas. It came as a bit of a shock when the team only placed one player — safety Lonnie Johnson — on IR with a designation to return, keeping an injured O’Connell on the 53-man roster and giving the team one less spot with which they could have held on to a borderline player.

Instead, it appears they wanted to reserve a spot on the 53-man roster for a player outside the building. None of the players they waived appear to have been claimed elsewhere, so all are available if the team wanted to bring them back. The team chose, instead, to claim linebacker Brennan Jackson, who was waived yesterday by the Rams; the team also did an add-drop of two linemen. Still, the Raiders knew O’Connell was headed to IR, so when they claimed a new player, it was an easy transaction to bring them on and move O’Connell off.

Raiders Make Final Moves Down To 53 Players

August 26th, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After making 18 cuts on Monday, the Raiders the following 22 moves to trim their roster down to 53-players, per a team announcement:

Waived

Released

Placed on IR (designated for return)

Backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell is projected to be out for six to eight weeks after undergoing surgery for a fractured wrist, but curiously, he will not land on injured reserve with a return designation. The Raiders may be waiting to make that move in case they need to open up a roster spot for a waiver claim, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review Journal. Las Vegas also kept offensive tackle Thayer Munford, who was a risk to get claimed on waivers, according to Bonsignore.

Despite a pre-draft endorsement from Tom Brady and O’Connell’s injury, Miller was unable to hang on the 53-man roster as a third-string quarterback. The Raiders will need a backup quarterback to start the year, and Miller is an obvious candidate to return to the practice squad for early-season elevations as O’Connell heals. They could also scour the waiver wire and then transfer O’Connell to the IR.

Johnson suffered a broken fibula in early August, but it was not expected to end his season. His designation to return confirms that projection, but he will still be sidelined for a minimum of four games to start the year.

Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell Suffers Fractured Wrist, Out Six To Eight Weeks

August 24th, 2025 at 7:44am CST by Rory Parks

Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell suffered a fractured right wrist during the team’s preseason finale against the Cardinals on Saturday, as head coach Pete Carroll told reporters after the game (including Tashan Reed of The Athletic). Carroll announced O’Connell would need surgery and would be out for six to eight weeks, thus making him an obvious candidate for injured reserve.

This offseason, the Raiders acquired Geno Smith via trade with the Seahawks, and he will serve as the starting QB. O’Connell, a fourth-round pick in 2023, cropped up in trade rumors prior to this year’s draft, but Las Vegas did not select a passer until adding North Dakota State’s Cam Miller in the sixth round. As such, O’Connell was retained and was in line to serve as Smith’s backup.

O’Connell, who will turn 27 next week, lost last summer’s QB1 competition to Gardner Minshew, though he still ended up starting seven games over the course of the 2024 season. After a somewhat encouraging 5-5 record in his rookie campaign in 2023, O’Connell went just 2-5 as a starter last year.

His career numbers are respectable enough for a backup passer: 20 TDs against 11 interceptions, a 62.6% completion percentage, and an 85.1 QB rating. However, he was not especially sharp during this year’s preseason schedule; over the first two games, he completed 33 of 53 passes for just 343 yards (6.5 yards per attempt) for one touchdown and three interceptions.

He started Saturday’s contest by completing three of his first four passes for 36 yards, but he also lost a fumble, his fourth turnover of the preseason. As ESPN’s Ryan McFadden observes, O’Connell also struggled in training camp practices, and Carroll acknowledged the offense did not move as quickly with O’Connell at the controls.

Miller finished the Arizona game by completing 12 of 24 passes for 124 yards. The Raiders likely do not want to have a developmental rookie working as Smith’s backup, so the team may well look to add a quarterback in short order.

Carson Wentz, who just visited the Vikings on Saturday, is the biggest name on the free agent market as of the time of this writing. With teams needing to trim their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday, more QBs will become available, by trade or otherwise.

Latest On Raiders’ Draft Plans; Team Open To Trading Aidan O’Connell?

April 23rd, 2025 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders’ Geno Smith acquisition and extension all but certainly takes them out of the QB mix at No. 6 overall. But they are still being mentioned as a team interested in addressing the position later.

Jalen Milroe came up as a Raiders target early in the pre-draft process, and now that a Smith extension is worked out, a long runway could be in place for a player deemed a raw prospect with a high ceiling. The Raiders remain on the Milroe radar, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. An early-second-round selection could be how Milroe’s draft process ends, though some execs informed Fowler the athletic Alabama option could land as a late-first-round choice.

That would require a trade-up from the Raiders, and we have certainly heard plenty about trade-ups for passers in this year’s draft. A frenzy could develop after the Browns and Giants — as they are expected to — choose Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter at Nos. 2 and 3. The Saints and Steelers have joined those teams as those doing extensive work on QBs, but the Rams, Raiders and Dolphins join them in being candidates to add one. Based on the volume — in a draft that has brought tremendous scrutiny on its non-Cam Ward options — multiple teams will be left out of this draft’s second tier at the position.

The Raiders, however, are still interested in Texas’ Quinn Ewers as well. Connected to the Texas starter earlier this offseason, Las Vegas has also done work on national championship-winning Ohio State QB Will Howard, Fowler adds. But they are higher on Ewers than Howard, per The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. slots Howard 105th and Ewers 111th in this class. By opting for this tier of QB, the Raiders could aim higher with their earlier-round choices, as they attempt to help a now-Smith-centered roster.

A Milroe move would obviously negate an Ewers investment, but either would be unlikely to seriously threaten Smith’s job security in 2025. Smith’s team-friendly contract gives the Raiders time to evaluate QBs, as this could be a multi-draft project. The Raiders having acquired Smith rather than take their chances with these free agency and draft crops is rather telling, as it would certainly be interesting to see them make that move and then dive back into Round 1 for Milroe. The Raiders’ second-round pick checks in at No. 37 overall.

At No. 6, the team has been closely tied to Ashton Jeanty. Smokescreen season notwithstanding, it would be rather surprising if Jeanty made it past Vegas at 6. The Jaguars have now been connected to choosing the Heisman runner-up at 5, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini adds some strong cases for an O-line add have been made within the organization. We heard recently the Raiders would target an O-lineman at No. 6, but that appeared contingent on Jeanty being off the board. Russini’s assessment points to the team considering going O-line over the ex-Boise State dynamo.

If the Raiders are to go O-line at No. 6, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur offers that the team is believed to like Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. more than Mizzou’s Armand Membou. Seeing a wide gap form between the SEC blockers’ prospect values, Banks looks to gained steam as the draft nears. The prospect of Ewers’ LT going in the top 10 appears in play, as Banks has also been connected to the Jets at 7. Membou would not stand to fall too far if Banks goes ahead of him, even with some teams viewing the college RT as a guard going forward.

The Raiders’ QB plans may well impact Aidan O’Connell. Closing both his two NFL seasons as the Raiders’ starter, the former fourth-round pick has come up as a trade candidate during this year’s draft, per Russini. The Raiders pitted O’Connell in a competition with Gardner Minshew last year, and while the younger passer lost, he was frequently called upon as Antonio Pierce benched Minshew. The latter’s season-ending injury moved O’Connell back into a starter role. He is 7-10 as a starter in two seasons, which is fairly impressive considering the rosters the Raiders trotted out in that time.

Two years remain on O’Connell’s rookie contract. The Raiders moving O’Connell would likely come after they have added another backup option, as only 2024 UDFA Carter Bradley is rostered beyond Smith at the position.

Latest On Tom Brady’s Raiders Path; Team Likely To Fire Antonio Pierce?

January 3rd, 2025 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Antonio Pierce certainly has not enjoyed too much of a chance to impress as Raiders HC. Although the Raiders coach said (via The Athletic’s Vic Tafur) Aidan O’Connell can be an NFL starting quarterback, the team did not equip its inexperienced sideline leader with much at the game’s premier position. Unsurprisingly, the team hovers near the top of the 2025 draft order.

The past two offseasons also brought Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh into the Raiders’ division, one that has been ruled by the Andy Reid–Patrick Mahomes tandem for man years. Without a quarterback or a proven coach, the Raiders are significantly lacking as the 2024 season winds down. A pivotal offseason looms, and Pierce has been under the microscope for a while now.

Despite players stumping for the team’s 2023 interim leader — to the point Maxx Crosby threatened a trade request — Pierce has the Raiders at 4-12. Even with the team having won its past two games, the general expectation around the league is for the Raiders to move on after Week 18, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. The Raiders did not conduct a thorough coaching search before bumping Pierce up to the full-time post; it would stand to reason the team would be ready to do so if/when it fires the former Super Bowl-winning linebacker.

Pierce has not inspired too much confidence in his first season as a full-timer. He also took a historically unusual route to a full-time gig, having no experience as an NFL coordinator or college head coach. Concerns about how Pierce assembled his staff — which has already seen an OC change, with Luke Getsy being fired midseason — also came out during this disappointing season.

Minority owner Tom Brady is expected to play a key role in the Raiders’ quarterback search, and if Pierce is canned, the legendary QB-turned-announcer would be a central figure in the team’s effort to replace him. It is quite unusual for a minority owner to possess this much power, but Brady is certainly a special case due to his standing in the game. However, the new part-owner is not believed to be ready for a regular day-to-day role with the Raiders, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes. He also will be on FOX’s Super Bowl broadcast as the lead analyst, complicating his part in a Raiders HC search — should one take shape.

A Brady-Mike Vrabel connection surfaced this week, and it would seem likely the former Titans HC takes a meeting with the franchise. Though, the Raiders having fired McDaniels — whom Vrabel has remained close with, to the point the unemployed coach has been mentioned as a potential Vrabel OC — may complicate matters for an in-demand candidate. Vrabel met with the Jets today and is believed to be interested in the Patriots’ job, should it become available.

Having gone 5-4 as an interim coach, Pierce drew interest from multiple teams last January. The Titans interviewed him, and the Falcons submitted a request. The 46-year-old HC’s stock has dipped a bit, but it would be rather interesting if Davis bailed on a coach one year in after firing McDaniels 1 1/2 seasons in. Pierce and McDaniels now have equal 9-16 records as Raiders HCs.

While Pierce is not a lock to be fired, it says plenty about his standing and the Raiders’ descent he is already being mentioned so frequently in firing rumors. This is a situation to monitor as Black Monday nears.

Aidan O’Connell Suffers Bone Bruise; Raiders QB Not Ruled Out For Week 15

December 9th, 2024 at 2:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

When an air cast was placed on Aidan O’Connell‘s leg prior to being carted off the field, the possibility existed he would be dealing with a major injury. A report from Sunday night indicated the Raiders feared the second-year quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury, but the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided.

Further testing revealed O’Connell is dealing with a bone bruise, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Considering the potential for more drastic outcomes, that is certainly a welcomed development for team and player. O’Connell will attempt to play in Week 15, so his status over the coming days will be key.

O’Connell already had a stint on injured reserve earlier this year, with his activation coming in time for him to replace Gardner Minshew in the lineup. The latter is out for the year due to a broken collarbone, an injury which opened the door for O’Connell to once again compete for a potential starting spot in 2025. Things have generally not gone well in that regard, with O’Connell’s play on Black Friday being an exception. If he can manage to suit up, though, the Purdue product could continue auditioning for a role next season.

Two more years remain on O’Connell’s rookie contract, so he should still be in consideration for at least a depth spot on Vegas’ QB depth chart moving forward. Minshew is also on the books for 2025, however, and the Raiders are on track to be in position to select a quarterback in the upcoming draft. A strong end to the season would not give the team a chance at a postseason berth, but it would help O’Connell’s stock in the organization.

The Raiders’ other healthy option under center is Desmond Ridder, who took over yesterday after O’Connell’s injury. The former Falcon would be in position to start against his former team if he were to get the nod for Week 15, but that will depend on O’Connell’s ability to recovery in short order.

Raiders Fear QB Aidan O’Connell Suffered Season-Ending Knee Injury

December 8th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

9:15 PM: Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports has broken the confirmation that O’Connell’s leg injury is indeed serious. Per Schultz, O’Connell suffered a season-ending knee injury in today’s loss to the Buccaneers.

With O’Connell likely joining Minshew on IR, the remaining four starts of the season should fall to Ridder. The only other quarterback in Las Vegas, aside from part-owner Tom Brady, of course, is practice squad rookie Carter Bradley out of South Alabama, who will likely need to be called up to the active roster. If the Raiders want more bodies in the room, they’ll need to sign a free agent or practice squad member from another franchise.

3:21 PM: The Raiders have already been dealt one notable blow on the injury front with respect to the quarterback position. They appear to have endured another during Sunday’s action.

Aidan O’Connell went down with a leg injury during the third quarter of Vegas’ game against the Buccaneers. An air cast was placed on his left leg before he was carted off the field. Such circumstances are often tied to major injuries and lengthy absences, and the Raiders will be further shorthanded at the QB spot if that proves to be true in this instance.

Gardner Minshew suffered a broken collarbone last month, leaving O’Connell in position to reclaim starting duties upon being activated from injured reserve. Minshew had won the offseason competition used to determine Vegas’ Week 1 starter, but neither passer impressed during training camp or the preseason. O’Connell saw playing time prior to landing on IR, and Minshew’s injury coincided with his return to action.

The 2023 fourth-rounder has not enjoyed much success this year, although his showing against the Chiefs on Black Friday (314 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions) showcased the potential for a late-season run of stronger outings. Instead, O’Connell’s attention will now turn to recovery as the Raiders move forward with Desmond Ridder under center. The former Falcon has made three appearances so far in 2024, his debut Vegas campaign. Ridder – a pending restricted free agent – could play his way into a deal with the Raiders or another team with his showings in the coming weeks if he finds himself as their only available passer.

For O’Connell, this development marks another unwanted mark on his efforts to secure a starting gig with the Raiders. He and Minshew are under contract for next year, but Vegas has long been seen as a suitor for a notable QB addition this offseason. With neither signal-caller easing doubts about their future before being injured, the Raiders will no doubt be a team to watch closely on that front.

Vegas lost 28-13 to Tampa Bay on Sunday, dropping the team’s record 2-11 on the year. The Raiders could very well be in position to select a passer during the first round of the draft as a result. O’Connell, 26, could return again this season depending on the severity of his injury, but he may well be sidelined until a 2025 campaign which could included new faces under center.

Raiders Activate QB Aidan O’Connell, Place CB Jakorian Bennett On IR

November 28th, 2024 at 12:25pm CST by Adam La Rose

Aidan O’Connell will indeed be in place for the Raiders for their Black Friday contest. The second-year quarterback was activated from injured reserve on Thursday, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

O’Connell was designated for return earlier this week with the expectation he would be activated in time to start against the Chiefs tomorrow. The QB1 gig will be his the rest of the way this year given Gardner Minshew‘s broken collarbone. Minshew was officially moved to IR in a corresponding move.

The Raiders have been linked to a quarterback pursuit this offseason given their struggles on offense, although both Minshew and O’Connell are under contract for 2025. The latter has made 12 total starts in the NFL, but after showing a degree of promise late last season the current campaign has not gone according to plan. O’Connell, 26, will be joined on the depth chart by Desmond Ridder over the coming weeks but it would come as no surprise if one or more new signal-callers were to be added this offseason.

Vegas also placed cornerback Jakorian Bennett on IR Thursday. The 2023 fourth-rounder handled rotational duties as a rookie but he has been a mainstay in the secondary this season. Bennett has logged a defensive snap share of 71% this season, posting 26 tackles and eight pass deflections. In coverage, the Maryland product has allowed a completion percentage of just 52.3% and has yet to surrender a touchdown as the nearest defender. His absence (which will last at least the next four games) will be acutely felt in the Raiders’ secondary.

The Bennett move opened up a spot on the active roster, and it has been filled by wideout Terrace Marshall. The former Panthers draftee was waived during roster cutdowns and he briefly spent time on the 49ers’ practice squad. Marshall has most recently been with Vegas, and has been used as a gameday elevation once already. The former second-rounder will now get a look on the roster as he looks to carve out a role in the team’s receiving corps.

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