Aidan O'Connell

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Aidan O'Connell has "earned the right" to compete for a starting role.

Fantasy Impact

This comes with the rumors of the Raiders considering drafting a quarterback early next month. "At the end of the day, listen, Aidan O'Connell played his a** off. He did a hell of a job for us," Pierce said. in an interview. "You're talking about a kid that has the mental toughness to play in the National Football League. Whatever happens and whatever we do it has to go through Aidan O'Connell. Being honest with you because he's earned that right."

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to be aggressive this offseason when searching for a new quarterback with second-year QB Aidan O'Connell currently in the driver's seat to start in 2024.

Fantasy Impact

O'Connell showed enough in his rookie season that the Raiders could roll with him for another year if needed, but they're expected to be aggressive in their pursuit of a new option. Owner Mark Davis approached other teams' general managers to inquire about moving up from No. 13, though that could be a difficult ask and could be against new GM Tom Telesco's draft strategy. The Raiders could draft a QB, or they could look into the free agent or trade markets as well.

Aidan O'Connell completed 20 of 31 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 27-14 win over the Broncos.

Fantasy Impact

O'Connell led the Raiders to their third win in the last four weeks of the season on Sunday afternoon. Going beyond that, the Raiders went 5-4 after the rookie QB took over for good back in Week 9. Over that nine-game span, O'Connell completed 61.5 percent of his passes for an average of nearly 212 yards per contest with an 11-to-5 TD/INT ratio. The fourth-round pick out of Purdue has certainly given the Raiders much to consider regarding the team's future at quarterback. O'Connell certainly could end up being their guy going into next season.

Aidan O'Connell completed 30-of-47 pass attempts for 299 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 23-20 loss to the Colts.

Fantasy Impact

O’Connell also added three rushing yards to his total in the loss. The rookie quarterback will close out the year against a tough Broncos’ defense in Week 18. Fantasy managers can leave the 25-year-old on the bench for the final week of the season.

Aidan O'Connell completed just nine of 21 passes for 62 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero turnovers during the Raiders' 20-14 win over the Chiefs in Week 16.

Fantasy Impact

All nine of O'Connell's completions came in the first quarter. From there, he had a shaky outing, though he certainly didn't need to be elite. Vegas' rushing attack and strong defensive showing took the pressure off O'Connell, fueling a big divisional win on Christmas Day. He ranks as a high-end QB3 for Week 17 versus the Colts.