The Las Vegas Raiders made a big decision this offseason retaining Antonio Pierce as the team’s head coach full-time. He did a great job replacing Josh McDaniels midseason on an interim basis and earned the job.
Under Pierce, the Raiders’ defense was excellent. That side of the ball is where his expertise is, which made the decision of who he hires as offensive coordinator an important one. To fill that role, Pierce hired Luke Getsy.
Getsy spent the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears but was let go earlier this season. Under Getsy, the Bears were able to produce at a high level on the ground, but their passing attack left something to be desired.
Some of that can be placed on quarterback Justin Fields, who has some developing to do still as a passer. But, strides were made in 2023 as the Bears made a concerted effort to upgrade the weapons around Fields.
In Las Vegas, Getsy will be responsible for helping further the development of Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell, a fourth-round pick out of Purdue in the 2023 NFL Draft, was named starter in one of Pierce’s first moves as interim coach during the season.
While there were some ups and downs during the season, Getsy spoke highly of what O’Connell was able to accomplish during his rookie campaign. He also provided some insight on what to expect from the Raiders’ with him as offensive coordinator.
“Without even knowing him or talking to him about anything yet, I could tell you right now that guy has got to be someone that prepares his butt off and is a great teammate,” Getsy said Friday, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “I mean, for the guys to rally around him the way that I saw from the outside looking in, and for him to go perform in the way that he did in the end of that season, that just speaks volumes. So, I’m excited to get to know him, excited to work with him for sure.”
O’Connell completed 62.1 percent of his passes in his rookie season for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 appearances with 10 starts. Given the circumstances he faced, that was a solid overall performance.
His passer rating of 89.3 was higher than Desmond Ridder, Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell and Bryce Young. There is certainly something to work with when it comes to O’Connell if the Raiders opt to move forward with him in 2024.
One of the reasons for optimism when it comes to his outlook is the presence of Davante Adams. When O’Connell was targeting him, good things were happening. That is something Getsy will look to continue in 2024.
“You always have to play into the players that you have, and your best players have to be the ones shining on Sunday,” Getsy said. “And so, it’s always about finding what everybody does best, and finding cool and unique ways to emphasize that every week.”
There is certainly no guarantee that O’Connell will be the starter for the Raiders in 2024. They have been linked to several options, whether it is in the draft, free agency or via trade. Getsy believes that one of the keys to a quarterback finding success is escapability, something O’Connell doesn’t have much of.
If Las Vegas does look for another starter, that could be a reason why. But, O’Connell proved that he can at least keep a team competitive during his rookie season and should, at the very least, be in the mix for a backup position on the team this season.
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