The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback room is undergoing a serious transformation. Geno Smith was traded this offseason, and the team decided against bringing back Kenny Pickett.
Kirk Cousins was recently signed, and the Raiders are expected to use the No. 1 pick to select Fernando Mendoza. For a time, Aidan O’Connell was the only quarterback under contract for the team.
It’s possible the Raiders draft multiple quarterbacks, which would make at least four quarterbacks on the roster. That doesn’t bode well for O’Connell.
The Raiders have met with several quarterback prospects outside of Mendoza, but none of them are in the mix for the No. 1 pick. That means the team is interested in developing a young backup behind Cousins and Mendoza.
Former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy believes that means O’Connell could be traded before the season.
“And as far as a player … that I think has the utmost trade value. It’s got to be Aidan O’Connell,” Kennedy said on the “Locked on Raiders Squad Show” podcast.
“I think the writing is on the wall with what the Raiders did and … I believe Aidan O’Connell can play in the National Football League. He might be a backup forever, but we’ve seen how so many of these backups have gotten burned … but as far as trade value goes, if I’m trading a pick and a player, it’s going to be that one.”
Should Raiders Trade O’Connell?
O’Connell has been a good soldier for the Raiders. He should’ve been the Week 1 starter in 2024 over Gardner Minshew, and he should’ve gotten a chance to start over Pickett when Smith got injured last season.
In 21 career games, he’s thrown 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Had he ever been given a chance to be the guy at the start of a season without having to battle for first-team reps, he may have proven to be a serviceable starter.
However, Mendoza is the future for the Raiders, so it doesn’t make much sense to keep O’Connell around now that Cousins is on the roster. There are plenty of teams that would like a backup quarterback with solid starting experience. The Raiders aren’t going to get valuable picks for an O’Connell trade, but they could possibly get a Day 3 draft pick.
Patriots Could Make Sense for O’Connell
If there’s one team out there that could be open to trading for O’Connell, it might be the New England Patriots. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was the Raiders’ head coach when they drafted the quarterback.
The team does have Tommy DeVito as a backup, but O’Connell has more starts and better stats. Plus, he already knows McDaniels’ system a bit.
Drake Maye is a star, so he’s going to be the starting quarterback in New England for a long time, but having a solid backup is very important. O’Connell has proven he can step in and at least keep the ship afloat. He’s never going to be a high-end starter, but he could be one of the better backups in the NFL if he’s put in the right situation.
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