The Las Vegas Raiders surprised many by not selecting a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. This obviously begs the question, what is the team going to do at quarterback heading into the 2024-25 season?
There are a few options currently on the roster to potentially start. Veteran journeyman Gardner Minshew was brought in this offseason after a solid season with the Indianapolis Colts. And the team of course does still have second-year quarterback Aiden O’Connell on the roster, who showed flashes of impressive play during his rookie season with the team.
The two are now expected to battle for the starting job moving forward. But on Friday, Pierce detailed that he will be giving O’Connell the first crack at starting reps this offseason.
“Aiden’s earned the right to go out there and get the first snap,” Pierce said during a recent press conference, transcribed by Pro Football Talk.
O’Connell came into his rookie season last year without any expectations to see the field right away. But surprisingly, he found himself in a situation where he ultimately earned the starting job over veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
In ten starts, O’Connell threw for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions, with a 5-5 team record in those starts.
Those numbers aren’t anything to write home about in comparison to the rest of the league. But there was a sense of confidence from him that very few rookies are able to show. And ultimately, he was able to put his team in a position to win games when he was under center.
It will sure be interesting to see who ultimately wins the quarterback battle in Las Vegas. But initially, it sounds like O’Connell will get the first crack at starting for the team.
