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Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis.
It’s not much of a secret that the Las Vegas Raiders will likely consider drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Gardner Minshew played very poorly before getting injured while Aidan O’Connell doesn’t have enough upside for the team to expect him to be a franchise quarterback.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently suggested that Raiders ownership may have a mandate for the front office to draft a quarterback with their first-round pick in 2025. However, the team has pushed back against the rumor, according to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.
“And the reemerging rumors of [Mark] Davis issuing a mandate that general manager Tom Telesco must draft a quarterback?” Gutierrez wrote in a Dec. 7 column.
“Simply not true, said a team source with knowledge of the situation.”
The Raiders do need a quarterback and will likely try to add one, but it doesn’t appear that ownership is going to step in. Owner Mark Davis has never been known to meddle in football personnel moves and there’s no indication he’s changing. That said, Tom Brady is now part of the ownership group and could push for a quarterback but for now, it appears the Raiders will give Telesco the power to select the quarterback.
Aidan O’Connell Is Used to QB Rumors
Quarterback rumors have been surrounding the Raiders for years now but there are still five games left in the season. O’Connell is used to being counted out but isn’t going to let that stop him from giving his best the rest of the season.
“I think it’s almost expected at this point,” O’Connell said during his Dec. 4 press conference. “And I don’t think it’s going to be anything different for the rest of my career. I hope I can be established and know I’m going to play, but I think it’s part of the NFL.
“They’re going to bring in new guys every year to try to compete and try to get the best product on the field. So for as long as I get to play this game, I’m going to be ready to compete.”
The 2025 class is considered one of the weaker quarterback classes in recent years. If O’Connell plays well the rest of the way and the Raiders move down the draft board, there is still an outside chance he could be the starter next year.
O’Connell Talks Ending of Chiefs Game
O’Connell had his best game of the season in Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. However, the Raiders had a chance to win but lost due to a fumbled snap by O’Connell in the fourth quarter.
He had a chance to speak about the game and the game-losing fumble.
“Definitely some good plays, but it just stinks more than anything,” O’Connell said. “It was just a really hard loss. Even sometimes when you have a game right after, it’s easier to move on, but we had kind of a longer week this week and so, kind of really got to sit in it, and it’s no fun.
“The mistakes kind of are what really stays in your mind, and you try to just learn from them and move on.”
