The Las Vegas Raiders were hoping that Geno Smith would be an upgrade for the offense over Aidan O’Connell this season. Through seven games, that has not been the case.
When Smith isn’t throwing a league-leading 10 interceptions, he’s leading a very ineffective offense. There have been calls for the Raiders to bench him in favor of Kenny Pickett. Now Smith is about to face more pressure if he doesn’t perform.
According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Raiders have opened up the 21-day practice window for O’Connell.
The quarterback has been on Injured Reserve all season, but he’s finally healthy enough to start practicing. He now has three weeks to show that he can play, or he’ll be ruled out for the rest of the season.
O’Connell struggled for the Raiders in the preseason, but he’s proven he can play relatively clean football as the starter the last two years. He doesn’t have the big play ability that Smith has, but he’s only thrown 11 intercetpions in 20 career appearances.
The Raiders seemed fine having O’Connell be the backup this season before he got hurt, and they were forced to bring in Pickett. It’ll be interesting to see who is first in line to replace Smith once O’Connell is officially back on the roster.
Should Raiders Consider Starting O’Connell?
O’Connell is only entering his third year, so it’s possible there’s still some upside there. He’s not going to make many wow throws, but he knows how to get the ball to star tight end Brock Bowers.
If the Raiders get outclassed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9, it might be time to consider benching Smith for the rest of the season. At that point, the Raiders would be 2-6, which would make a playoff run nearly impossible.
Why not just start the younger quarterback and give him some reps, especially if the plan is to move on from Smith after the season? Head coach Pete Carroll is very loyal to Smith, so he might not be willing to make that move, but he could be left without a choice if the quarterback keeps playing so poorly.
Still Time for Smith to Change the Narrative
While Smith has been very bad, not many players on the Raiders’ roster have been having a good season. It seems like the coaching staff may have underestimated how long it would take to adjust to the new schemes.
Smith has proven in the past that he can play like a borderline top-10 quarterback. Right now, there’s an argument that he’s been a bottom-three quarterback. Luckily for Smith, there’s still time to turn things around. The Raiders are coming off their bye week, and he’s likely been working hard to get back on track.
The team doesn’t need him to throw for 350 yards and four touchdowns every game, but playing clean football and leading a few scoring drives would be a huge step in the right direction. If he finishes the season strongly, there’s no reason to believe the Raiders would cut him after the year.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders Make Aidan O’Connell Move Amid Geno Smith’s Struggles appeared first on Heavy Sports.