It’s been a bumpy start to his career for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell. He was supposed to be a third-stringer during his rookie year, but was thrust into a starting job.
He was the favorite to earn the starting job last year, but lost to Gardner Minshew before he was eventually the starter again. The Raiders traded for Geno Smith this offseason, so he’s obviously the starter going forward.
O’Connell has been locked in as the backup for much of the offseason, but that could change. He has played very poorly in the preseason. He’s thrown three interceptions in two games, including a very ugly one against the San Francisco 49ers. According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, O’Connell could be losing his grip on the backup job.
“Third-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell will likely begin the season as Smith’s backup. The question is how long that will remain the case,” Bonsignore wrote.
Rookie sixth-round pick Cam Miller wasn’t thought to be ready to be the backup yet, but he might be making the case that he’s better than O’Connell.
“O’Connell has had a subpar preseason, throwing three interceptions in his two appearances,” he added. “That, plus the development of rookie sixth-round pick Cam Miller, could cause the Raiders to reassess their quarterback pecking order at some point.
“Both passers will likely get extensive playing time in the team’s final preseason game Saturday against the Cardinals. Their performances could determine how comfortable the Raiders are with O’Connell being their main insurance policy at quarterback, or whether Miller deserves a shot at the No. 2 role.”
Could O’Connell Get Cut or Traded?
O’Connell has played decently during the regular season in the past, so he might still be safe despite his poor play in the preseason. However, he might just not be a fit in Chip Kelly’s offense.
Miller was handpicked by this current regime, which could give him the edge. O’Connell knows he needs to play better and not turn the ball over.
“At all junctures, it’s my job to take care of the ball and not put our defense in a bad spot,” O’Connell said.
Perhaps he could have some trade value. A team like the Tennessee Titans might want an upgrade at backup quarterback, or the Indianapolis Colts could decide they’d rather have him as a backup than Anthony Richardson. Regardless, O’Connell might be on the hot seat.
Miller Still Needs to Improve
Miller hasn’t been perfect either. Against the 49ers, he had an interception late in the game that was a big reason why the Raiders ended up losing.
Miller is still a work in progress, but he’s learning. It might not be time for him to be the backup yet, but it should be his job in the future.
“Going into that last play, I told myself, ‘Don’t force the ball,’ and I did,” Miller said Tuesday. “So, there’s a lot of learning lessons. I take full responsibility for that entire drive. I need to be better. I need to prepare better.”
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