Gardner Minshew failed to finish a Raiders-Broncos game for the second time, with the oft-benched quarterback going down with a broken collarbone yesterday. Antonio Pierce confirmed reports of the break Monday and said Aidan O’Connell is in play to return this week.
The Raiders have since designated O’Connell for return from IR. This marked the second-year quarterback’s first week of return eligibility. The Raiders will now have 21 days to activate the QB to the active roster, but it sounds like O’Connell could return as soon as Black Friday. The signal caller has been rehabbing a broken thumb suffered in late October.
With Minshew failing to impress to begin the campaign, O’Connell eventually took over atop the depth chart. He got his first start in Week 6, completing 27 of his 40 pass attempts for 227 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. However, he was knocked out of his second start after only 14 snaps, and his placement on IR kept him off the field for the past four games.
In four appearances this season, O’Connell completed 63.4 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions. This followed a 2023 campaign where the rookie fourth-round pick went 5-5 while throwing 12 touchdowns vs. 11 interceptions. While the Raiders are well outside of the playoff picture, O’Connell will still have a chance to build on his career numbers for the stretch run of the season.
He could also make an argument for the QB1 role ahead of the 2025 campaign. O’Connell remains attached to his rookie contract through 2026, while Minshew was added on a two-year pact in the spring. The Raiders should also be armed with a top pick in next year’s draft, so there’s a chance the team adds another QB to the mix before the start of the 2025 season.
With Minshew being lost for the season, the Raiders will no longer have to make a decision following O’Connell’s activation. Minshew improved on his turnovers over his past four starts, with the veteran tossing five scores vs. two picks over that span. When the QB was knocked out of yesterday’s game, he was replaced by Desmond Ridder, who completed five of 10 passes while also taking a pair of sacks.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Garbage in, garbage out.