Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell hasn’t inspired much confidence this preseason. Entering his third year in the NFL, O’Connell continues to look like a backup at best, raising questions about the Raiders’ quarterback depth behind starter Geno Smith.
The 26-year-old threw two interceptions in the preseason opener against Seattle, then followed that up with another costly mistake in Week 2 against San Francisco. His play has left many wondering whether the Raiders can trust him if Smith goes down during the regular season.
Carroll’s critique
Seattle head coach Pete Carroll, whose team faced O’Connell in the preseason, gave a blunt assessment of the quarterback’s issues.
“I thought Aidan continued to little bit — we’re not quite as fast when he’s playing,” Carroll said, according to an article by SportingNews’s Mike Moraitis. “We don’t play as quick from huddle to the snap, still trying to work that out. And he made a poor choice on the throw for the pick, unfortunately. It was a crucial time, that was tough. Just the guy was covered, and if he had to it throw away or take off, we would have preferred that.”
The interception Carroll referenced was an ill-advised throw where O’Connell forced the ball into tight coverage. Former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon, calling the game on the broadcast, criticized the decision bluntly: “Can’t make that throw.”
Adding an extra layer of intrigue, Raiders general manager John Spytek happened to be in the broadcast booth when the mistake occurred, though he didn’t react publicly.
Stuck as QB2?
Despite his struggles, O’Connell is still expected to hold onto the backup role in Las Vegas. Rookie Cam Miller has shown flashes of potential in limited action but cooled off in Week 2, making it unlikely that he jumps O’Connell on the depth chart just yet.
Still, Miller has displayed enough upside that the Raiders could keep him on the 53-man roster as a developmental option. Fans may clamor for him to get a chance if O’Connell continues to stumble.
What’s next for Las Vegas?
For now, the Raiders are set with Geno Smith as the starter and O’Connell slotted in behind him. But the preseason struggles raise legitimate concerns about what might happen if Smith is sidelined. Carroll’s comments highlight an ongoing problem: O’Connell has yet to speed up his processing and decision-making at the NFL level.
Whether he can adjust before the regular season remains to be seen, but his shaky preseason outings have kept the spotlight firmly on Las Vegas’ backup quarterback situation.