The Raiders are set to have a quarterback competition through the offseason program and training camp, with head coach Antonio Pierce recently saying that Aidan O’Connell has earned the right to take the first snap.
There’s a long way to go before Las Vegas determines a starting QB. But offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s impressions of O’Connell have been positive as the signal-caller enters his second season.
“To get thrown in the way he got thrown into, and to see the adversity — I think it was like a zero that they didn’t score [against Minnesota] and they score all those points [against the Chargers], that’s a really cool reflection of the type of kid that he is and the approach that he brings,” Getsy said in his Tuesday press conference. “There’s one thing I would definitely pat him on the back for at this point, it’s just the willingness to be taught and willingness to be vulnerable in this opportunity to get better.
“That’s really cool to see a guy who’s had success now really excited to learn some new stuff.”
But as O’Connell competes with Gardner Minshew, Getsy said he’ll be looking at the overall picture more than traits.
“Yeah, I don’t think ‘traits’ necessarily is the right word. I think [it’s] the evaluation of the performance on a whole,” Getsy said. “There’s a lot of parts to it. I think it’s the way that the operation [functions], making sure we’re taking care of the football, and then the production part of it. I think this is a long process. We’re at the beginning stages of it. Everyone’s trying to get a grasp of what we’re trying to accomplish — not just the Qs, but everybody.
“The good thing is we’ve got a good group in that room. Those guys work their butt off and they’re competitive, but they’re great teammates too at the same time. So the beginning part of this thing has been a lot of fun.”
O’Connell threw for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games with 10 starts as a rookie last season. Minshew racked up 3,305 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 17 games with 13 starts in 2023.
