With Aidan O’Connell taking over at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders as of Week 6, the offence is mostly under his control. Gardner Minshew, the starting quarterback in Week 1, had a mixed bag of a few weeks, so head coach Antonio Pierce decided to stick with O’Connell at quarterback. Luckily, for the Purdue signal-caller in his second season, the best quarterback in NFL history just joined the Raiders a few days prior to his second game as the starting quarterback in 2024.
On Tuesday, Tom Brady’s ownership stake in the Raiders was authorized. Although the precise role he will play in the team’s future is uncertain, owner Mark Davis mentioned Brady’s influence on the quarterback position for the team. Brady may have the last say when it comes to quarterback decisions, but it sounds like O’Connell is prepared to take advantage of the chance to pick Brady’s brain as soon as possible.
Brady’s presence in the building has an impact, and O’Connell acknowledged that he intends to “pick his brain,” as W.G. Ramirez of The Associated Press noted. “I know he’s pretty busy, but any time he’s got, I’ll definitely pick his brain,” said O’Connell. “Undoubtedly a fantastic individual to have in an NFL building. Since he has experience working at the highest level for a long time, you can learn a lot from his words alone. It’s also great to have him around.”
The Raiders selected O’Connell in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. As a rookie, O’Connell started 10 games and finished with a 5-5 record. He completed his pass play with 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. The former Boilermaker saw spot duty in two games before being named the starter in Week 6, even though he lost the training camp competition to start at quarterback to Minshew. O’Connell has completed 63.9 percent of his throws for 403 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions through three games this season.
