Aidan O'Connell Changes Raiders Jersey Number Out of Respect for Derek Carr

Patrick Andres | May 22, 2024

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (4) throws against the Denver Broncos during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Take a look at the Las Vegas Raiders' all-time passing leaders and there, at the top of both the yards and touchdowns leaderboard, is quarterback Derek Carr. The distances between Carr and second place aren't close, either: Carr is over 16,000 yards and 60 touchdowns clear of Ken Stabler.

While he was never truly dominant like some of his contemporaries, it'd hard to deny Carr's importance to the Raiders' 21st-century history. To that end, Las Vegas quarterback Aidan O'Connell is changing his number out of respect for the Fresno State product—ditching the No. 4 he wore as a rookie.

“When the offseason came, it felt to me it was Derek’s number,” O’Connell said during an appearance on Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby’s podcast, The Rush. “He wore it for that long and he’s a franchise leader and all that stuff. It felt disrespectful, so I just wanted to kind of give that back to him.”

Carr is now on the New Orleans Saints, still wearing No. 4. O'Connell will wear No. 12 this year, and has been donning the number in OTAs.

“I just didn’t want to be (No.) 4 anymore,” O’Connell told Crosby. “I didn’t pick four. As a rookie you just kind of do what you’re told, so I was cool with it."