Pierce Would Want a College QB to be 'Battle-Tested'
The Las Vegas Raiders went with a rookie starter at quarterback, Aidan O'Connell, with Coach Antonio Pierce at the helm last season and they could do so again.
But even though Pierce was quick to start a young quarterback once he took over does not mean he would be so willing to do so again. He still has boxes he wants to be checked regarding a quarterback coming out of college.
"I think you want a guy with a bunch of starts beneath his belt -- you don't want a one-hit wonder," Pierce said at the NFL Combine last Wednesday, Feb. 28. "You don't want a guy who had one year of success and say that's the guy. No, I think you want somebody who has been battle-tested, that ... has been through adversity, that's had challenges, that had to either have a competition battle -- he wasn't just handed the keys on Day 1.
If the Las Vegas Raiders find their franchise quarterback in next month's NFL Draft, Coach Antonio Pierce would want one who has experience.
© Kirby Lee | 2023 Nov 26
"He's kind of gone through that because that's going to be the process here whatever we do. I don't care if we bring in a veteran or not, Aidan's [O'Connell] our starter. They've got to beat out Aidan.
"That's the facts, and that's not coach talking s---, Aidan did a hell of a job, man. And the thing about it, he hasn't blinked. With all this noise and all this stuff about the quarterback play, he just comes to work every day, works out, does his thing, and it's beautiful to see."
O'Connell started in the Raiders' final nine games last season, finishing with a 5-4 record in that span. Pierce believes O'Connell has earned the right to be QB1 until he loses the job.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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