Raiders coach Antonio Pierce announced Aidan O’Connell will start at quarterback against the Chiefs on Black Friday.
“We feel good about Aidan. He’s been dialed in,” Pierce said, via video from the team. “Obviously throughout this time he’s been on IR, he’s been in all the meetings; he’s been very encouraging on the sideline. He has that laser eye focus right now. Great opportunity for him.”
The timing is good for the Raiders with Gardner Minshew out for the season after breaking his collarbone.
O’Connell replaced Minshew in the starting lineup in Week 6, and the plan was from him to start the rest of the season. O’Connell, though, broke his right thumb in the Week 7 loss to the Rams.
The Raiders opened O’Connell’s 21-day practice window Monday with hopes that he would start this week. They will make a roster move by Saturday to get him back on the active roster from injured reserve.
“He carried himself like a starter. He carried himself like a starter even when he was on IR. He did that when he was a backup,” Pierce said. “He did a great job of being engaged with the players, engaged on the sideline, in meeting rooms. He’s the one speaking up, talking. You can just look at his eyes; you look at his demeanor. He wasn’t a guy like, ‘All right, I’m out for the season; I’m not going to play.’ No. ‘I’ll be back. I’m ready to be back.’ And he worked his tail off to get back.”
In four appearances with two starts this year, O’Connell has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 455 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
