Raiders coach noncommittal about starting QB for TNF vs. Chargers

On Nov. 1, the day of his introductory press conference, Pierce had said rookie Aidan O’Connell would be the team’s starter moving forward. Flash forward: the Raiders are coming off of a 3-0 loss against the Minnesota Vikings in which the offense converted just three-of-14 third down attempts (21%) and recorded only 202 total yards. Las Vegas fell to 5-8 and now may reverse course, with a Thursday game against the Los Angeles Chargers looming.

‘I never said Aidan wasn’t the starter,’ Pierce said Wednesday in a news conference. ‘I’ll say that first and foremost … We’re still evaluating. If there’s a chance to get better, a chance to improve, a chance to put us in position to win, we got to look into all the factors that go into that. Making decisions off the media, a loss, a bad, ugly performance, that’s not how you do things in the National Football League.

‘We’re going to do whatever it takes to put ourselves in position to win. And after today, we’ll have a better answer.’

Still, because the Raiders are suiting up Thursday night on a short week, it may prove to be difficult to make a change ahead of their game against Los Angeles. But, Pierce’s lack of an endorsement for O’Connell could signal that the rookie may be on a short leash, if he struggles.

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Who else do the Raiders have at quarterback?

Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo began this season as the starter, after he signed a three-year deal with Las Vegas in March that’s worth up to $67.5 million. At the time, the move made some sense; Garoppolo was reuniting with then-Raiders coach Josh McDaniels, whom he knew from his days with the New England Patriots, when McDaniels was offensive coordinator.

Garoppolo, however, struggled, completing 65.5% of his passes for 1,205 yards, with seven touchdowns against nine interceptions in six starts. When the Raiders fired McDaniels at the start of November, Pierce became the interim and he appointed O’Connell as the starter.

Aside from Garoppolo, the Raiders also have another McDaniels favorite in journeyman Brian Hoyer, a 38-year-old veteran who also played under the former Raiders coach. Hoyer started one game this year, a 30-12 loss during Week 7 against the Chicago Bears.

What are Aidan O’Connell’s stats this season?

In seven games this year, including six starts, O’Connell has been uneven. He has completed 63.8% of his throws for 1,365 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions. A fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft out of Purdue, O’Connell helped the Raiders win his first two starts after McDaniels was fired, but Las Vegas has since dropped the following three games.