The Raiders concluded Week 15 of the NFL season with another ugly loss, their tenth straight, to be exact. It was a game they came into shorthanded, being forced to start Desmond Ridder at quarterback due to Aidan O'Connell being injured.
While Ridder fought for the team, he still had a lackluster performance, finishing 23-of-39 for 208 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Ultimately leading to a 15-9 loss to his former team the Atlanta Falcons.
The good news is that Antonio Pierce said O'Connell is "trending upwards" in terms of starting on Sunday, as confirmed by Vic Tafur of the Athletic.
Through O'Connells sparse playing time in 2024 he has 899 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions, with a QBR of 40.7.
Whether or not O'Connell will actually play is unknown, but it is good news for the team that he's trending towards returning. If you were watching the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers it didn't look like he would return this year. From being carted off the field to being put in an air-cast, it seemed like he was done. Now a little over a week later and he could be starting come Sunday.
