Desmond Ridder took first-team reps at practice this week for the Raiders, but is there a chance Aidan O’Connell could wiggle into the starting lineup before Monday night?
There have been conflicting reports in the last two days on O’Connell’s status, and according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Raiders are still expected to start Desmond Ridder, who took first-team reps at practice all week.
“Sources consider Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell a long shot for Monday vs. Atlanta, but coach Antonio Pierce is leaving the light on for him, holding out hope in case there’s a chance he can go,” Fowler reported on Saturday in an ESPN insider piece. “Injured reserve has not been a major consideration as of this week. ‘Still a chance he finishes the season for us,’ a team source said.”
The other report on O’Connell came this week from Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter and he was a little more optimistic late in the week that O’Connell might play.
“Based on what I’m hearing, I think there’s a better chance that he probably plays than he doesn’t, but I don’t think anything at this moment is definitive,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
It’s been a bizarre season for the Raiders on just about every level, but the quarterback position has been arguably the most disappointing unit on the roster this year. O’Connell and Gardner Minshew failed to impress in the preseason, and Minshew seemed to back into the starting job. Minshew struggled this season before breaking his collarbone against the Broncos in week 12.
O’Connell started the following week and was impressive against the Chiefs at Arrowhead, but didn’t play well in week 14 against the Buccaneers before leaving the game with a knee injury.
It was reported that O’Connell was going to be out for the season, but his knee turned out to be a painful bone bruise, and now there’s an outside chance he will be able to play on Monday.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback, it’s going to be a difficult situation for the Raiders going forward.
It was announced this week that Maxx Crosby is being shut down for the season, and there’s a case to be made that losing down the stretch will benefit the team more than winning.
With a loss to the Falcons on Monday night, the Raiders would reclaim their position at the top of the draft. A loss will drop them to the 7th pick.
