Briefly, after it was reported that the Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager David Ziegler, the team made a massive change at the quarterback position. Per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are expected to start rookie signal-caller Aidan O’Connell In Week 9 against the New York Giants and going forward.
The decision to move forward with O’Connell under center relegates quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to the bench. Garoppolo’s connection to McDaniels and Ziegler dating back to their days with the New England Patriots can be attributed to his decision to sign with the Raiders this offseason, so it’s not surprising to see him benched following their departures.
O’Connell was a preseason standout for the Raiders and now gets an opportunity to show the franchise he can be their quarterback of the future. He made his first career NFL start in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he completed 24 of his 39 pass attempts for 238 scoreless yards and an interception.
The rookie quarterback also made an appearance in the Raiders’ Week 7 game against the Chicago Bears after then-backup quarterback Brian Hoyer failed to seize his opportunity en route to a 30-12 blowout loss to the Bears, who were led by undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent.
O’Connell checked into the game midway through the fourth quarter and instantly provided a spark for the Raiders offense, completing 10 of his 13 pass attempts for 75 yards and a touchdown to go with an interception.
Hopefully, for the Raiders sake, O’Connell can help turn the tide after a tumultuous week in Las Vegas.
