After the Las Vegas Raiders acquired quarterback Geno Smith this offseason, incumbent starter Aidan O'Connell became expendable. He has been a trade candidate throughout the spring as the team continues to improve the position group and seek out a long-term solution under center.
Many felt that Las Vegas was going to target its quarterback of the future during this year's draft and kick O'Connell to the curb, but the event came and went, and he is still a Raider. There may not be a team in the league that would trade for O'Connell at this point, but an injury or another development could throw a wrench into things between now and Week 1.
Just because he is on the team, however, does not mean that the Silver and Black are committed to him. There are still questions about O'Connell's future in Las Vegas, but most of it is speculation.
Raiders insider confirms Aidan O'Connell's status for 2025
However, the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore recently provided clarity about where the third-year signal-caller stands with the organization after the 2025 NFL Draft.
"It would be a surprise if (Aidan O'Connell) wasn’t on the roster," Bonsignore wrote. "The Raiders also waited until the sixth round of the NFL draft to select a quarterback — North Dakota State’s Cam Miller — which likely means O’Connell will be the club’s No. 2 quarterback behind Smith."
Bonsignore continued to sing O'Connell's praises throughout the article and gave credence to his value as a backup.
"He’s smart and he’s respected in the locker room," wrote Bonsignore. "As a backup, a team could do far worse than O’Connell, who is still on his rookie contract and represents excellent value for his role."
The door was left open, however, for Miller to dethrone O'Connell for the backup role in Las Vegas, but that was deemed unlikely
Over the last two seasons, O'Connell has appeared in 20 games for the Silver and Black, including 17 starts. In those contests, he has thrown 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, earning an 85.1 passer rating. He has also been the starter for seven of the team's 12 wins during that span.
As the Raiders sort out their quarterback situation in the coming years, it's also possible O'Connell sticks with the team for a good while longer than anyone expects right now.
Unless Miller has an incredible offseason and training camp, O'Connell should settle into the backup role once again. This is not uncharted territory for him, however, so he'll be ready to go if the team needs him.
