But in the last two games, Aidan O’Connell has been doing admirably for the squad. Antonio Pierce, the head coach, was very complimentary of the young quarterback.
During his press conference on Monday, Pierce stated, “Yeah, I think he’s been resilient, obviously go back to the quarterback competition in the spring and training camp.” I believed he handled it expertly. He was constantly prepared to leave. The Rams week, in my opinion, clearly gives us a strong opportunity there when we decide to start him. After that, he suffered an injury and returned. He’s just a tough player, in my opinion. I believe it’s similar to what we witnessed last year in that he maximizes his opportunity and gets more reps, and as I mentioned before, he always puts us all in a better position when he protects the football.
Pierce’s following remarks were even more noteworthy. He had an intriguing response when asked if O’Connell would start at quarterback for the Raiders the following season.
He stated, “Yes, I believe Aidan O’Connell will be a starting quarterback in the NFL.”
Given that O’Connell has a contract with the Raiders for the upcoming campaign, Pierce would feel at ease keeping him in the starting lineup. However, it’s unclear if Pierce will return for the upcoming season, so it might not matter.
Should the Raiders Make a 2025 Commitment to Aidan O’Connell?
O’Connell is now evidently at least a competent NFL quarterback. Although he isn’t very athletic, he has the arm talent and accuracy to throw far. In addition, he is growing as a leader.
Unfortunately for O’Connell, he plays in a division where Bo Nix, Justin Herbert, and Patrick Mahomes all start. They are all three first-round selections who have made an impact. O’Connell is a guy with little potential, and the Raiders just cannot afford to develop around him. Although he should be on the roster, he should only be given a chance to start if the team is unable to select a quarterback early in the draft.
O’Connell Discusses Beating the Saints
In Week 17, the Raiders played their finest game of the season against the New Orleans Saints. Their largest victory margin of the year was 25–10. Even though they are no longer in the running for the playoffs, the squad is obviously still giving Pierce their best effort.
O’Connell has expressed his admiration for his teammates’ performance.
“Seeing guys still fighting is impressive,” O’Connell remarked. “The lads are merely hungry, but we could have given up a long time ago. I believe it speaks to the athletes in our locker room who want to work hard, play hard, and go out there and try to win. It will only serve to further energize us, in my opinion.
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