Raiders moving forward with Aidan O’Connell as starting quarterback
Six games. That is how many games Jimmy Garoppolo lasted as the starting quarterback in Las Vegas. After signing a three-year deal this offseason, the Raiders have made the decision to bench Garoppolo and go forward with rookie Aidan O’Connell for the remainder of the season.
That news was first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Media on Wednesday morning following the firings of Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler and Mick Lombardi.
Another major move in Las Vegas: The #Raiders are expected to start rookie QB Aidan O'Connell this week and going forward, with Jimmy Garoppolo going to the bench. The promising O’Connell now gets his shot. pic.twitter.com/2lN5Aey5X8
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2023
It’s not hard to understand why the Raiders decided to make this move. Garoppolo couldn’t stay on the field and when he did, his play was poor. He leads the NFL in interceptions with nine despite only playing 5.5 games. He did not complete a single pass over 20 air yards in Week 8 and his lack of mobility in the pocket was hindering the offense.
O’Connell struggled in his first start against the Chargers, but his preseason performance gives the Raiders some hope moving forward. There will certainly be a lot of growing pains, especially with a new head coach and offensive coordinator, but this is a move the Raiders needed to make.
