Raiders' O'Connell Could be the Guy Moving Forward

There have been many suggestions of what the Las Vegas Raiders should do at the quarterback position. However, Aidan O'Connell could be their guy for the 2024 season and beyond.

The Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback position has been one of the most high-profile positions in the National Football League over the last few seasons. From Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo to Aidan O'Connell, many eyes gravitate to what the Raiders do at the position, even from those not closely attached to the organization.

Since Carr's departure, the Raiders have been searching for a steadying presence at the most critical position on the football field. They thought they found the guy for the job with Garoppolo, but after a rocky first half of the 2023 season, injuries, and poor play, it was evident as early as the first game of the season when he threw one of his ill-advised interceptions that Garoppolo wasn't the team's long-term answer.

At the halfway point, it was decided Garoppolo was not the team's short-term answer either. Raiders owner Mark Davis fired Coach Josh McDaniels and promoted Coach Antonio Pierce, who immediately named the rookie O'Connell as the team's starting quarterback. O'Connell would go 5-4 down the stretch.

Along with the very first start of his career against the Los Angeles Chargers, O'Connell finished the season 5-5, throwing for over 2,000 yards and earning a quarterback rating of roughly 84.0. O'Connell was able to do all of that with a brand new head coach and a first-time offensive coordinator.

Not only did O'Connell beat many of the odds against him, but he did so with poise you would rarely see from a fourth-round quarterback unexpectedly thrown into the starting quarterback position.

O'Connell now enters his second season in the National Football League, with already his third offensive coordinator. This is a situation most quarterbacks would not face after one season in the league. This offseason gives O'Connell the chance to fully prepare as the team's starting quarterback, something he didn't have last season.

O'Connell now has a coaching staff that will put him in the best position to succeed, another luxury he didn't have last season. Not only that, but O'Connell now has a much-improved roster from the one he inherited after last season's trade deadline passed. The improved roster will take a lot of the pressure off his shoulders next season.

O'Connell is far from the most glamorous quarterback option; however, he did prove last season that he has the potential to be a competent starting quarterback in the league, even under subpar conditions.

In an offseason in which many are calling for the Raiders to sign another quarterback through free agency or the draft and in which the Raiders have already added a quarterback and are expected to add another, O'Connell could very well be the best option the team has for the next few seasons.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again. Sign up RIGHT HERE for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes thrice a week and delivers all our best stories.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.