Raiders rookie Aidan O’Connell as QB2 behind Jimmy G? Raider Nation seems to want that
Rookie Aidan O’Connell impressed again in his second NFL game for the Las Vegas Raiders — albeit another exhibition.
The former Purdue quarterback showed poise and accuracy, though some of his throws ended up being dropped by his wide receivers, in a 34-17 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at SoFi Stadium.
His strong showing should cement his QB2 status behind Jimmy Garoppolo heading into the regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 10.
Sure, there is one more exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys, but O’Connell has proven enough in practice and the exhibitions to be the backup.
The San Francisco 49ers found out a week earlier.
Raider Nation is already calling for O’Connell to get the No. 2 job.
The Rams also saw what O’Connell could do when the teams had joint practices leading up to Saturday’s game.
Granted, competition is usually coming against the defensive 2’s, but O’Connell has shown he’s also capable of handling the starters.
Will that be enough? It should be, unless O’Connell bombs his final audition against the Cowboys.
In two exhibition games, O’Connell is 26 of 36 for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He has been sacked once and has a QB rating 125.2.
Garoppolo likes what he sees from O’Connell.
“It kind of just comes naturally,” he told reporters Saturday. “ I was blessed as a young guy to be around Tom (Brady) and some great other quarterbacks. Kind of showing me the ropes. It’s kind of just that trickle-down effect. When you put good people together, Aidan’s a good dude. Chicago guy, but when you put good people together ... I think we work well together.”
Look for O’Connell’s status to be confirmed after this week’s final exhibition game.
This story was originally published August 20, 2023 at 2:30 PM.
