Raiders Have Seen Improvement in QB Aidan O'Connell

For Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell, it has been a journey of hard work and never giving up that has got him where he is today.

In high school, O'Connell was not known to scouts or wanted by any Division I schools. O'Connell took a chance and walked on at Purdue where he also had to prove he could be a starting quarterback. He did not start unitl his fifth year at Purdue.

Once O'Connell got his shot to start, he ran with it and was one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten in his two years as a starter. O'Connell then got selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL by the Raiders.

O'Connell was not expected to see the field much as a rookie, but an injury to former Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo saw O'Connell get his first shot. It was not the ideal situation for O'Connell because he was a rookie starting for the first time in the middle of the season with little to no first-team snaps.

O'Connell took the opportunity and got better when he was officially announced the starter when Coach Antonio Pierce took over. Now, he enters his second season with the Silver and Black in a quarterback position that people think he is winning. O'Connell has been putting in the work all offseason, and it is showing.

Pierce always gives O'Connell confidence and tells him to do his best.

Our Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. talked about Aidan O'Connell's evaluation on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."

"In comes Antonio Pierce, a different kind of leader," Carpenter said. "Who had believed in Aidan O'Connell since he got there. Who felt like nobody is trying to help this kid. He believed the best quarterback in the building between Hoyer, Garoppolo, Aidan, was Aidan. And may I add, I agree.

"Last five games of the season: [O'Connell] nine touchdowns, one interception. He earned the trust of his teammates and earn the trust of his coach. Now he comes into Year 2. Three offensive coordinators, and he has not played a game yet in year two yet, so literality in one year, three offensive coordinators. They know what they have seen in Aidan, He is very smart. They told him in the offseason, two things you got to work on, you [O'Connell] were a rookie last year thrown in the middle, we get that, but if you are going to be a NFL quarterback you have to be vocal. No. 2, you got to be mobile, you cannot stand there with your feet nailed to the ground in the pocket. ... He worked on it all offseason. He was in the building every day. Considered one of the everyday guys. He showed his mobility, his accuracy was very good, and he was much more vocal."

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