Former Purdue Quarterback Suffers Injury in Las Vegas Raiders' Preseason Finale

Former Purdue quarterback Aidan O'Connell suffered an unfortunate setback on Saturday. The third-year NFL veteran suffered a fractured wrist in the Las Vegas Raiders' preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks.

O'Connell sustained the injury in the first half of Saturday's game after leading the offense for two drives. He finished the game completing three passes for 36 yards on four attempts. Arizona defeated Las Vegas 20-10.

"He fractured his wrist -- he's hurt and it's going to be a while," Raiders coach Pete Carroll said, per NFL.com. "That's a big blow for us."

Entering the 2025 season, O'Connell was thought to be the backup to Geno Smith for the Raiders. While he may resume that role later in the season, Las Vegas will have to find a different answer to begin the year.

O'Connell has played in 20 games in his first two NFL seasons, totaling 3,830 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The former Boilermaker has maintained a 62.6% completion rate. He's also made 17 starts with the Raiders, owning a 7-10 record.

Before his NFL career, O'Connell was a prolific quarterback at Purdue. He had outstanding years in 2021 and 2022, throwing for more than 3,400 yards in each of those two years. As a senior in 2022, he led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten West title.

O'Connell ended his Purdue career with 9,219 yards, 65 touchdowns, and a 66.7% completion rate. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Raiders.