Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell played well after unexpectedly being named the starting quarterback roughly halfway through the season. The rookie quarterback finished the season with a 5-4 record after being named the starter.
O'Connell faced more in his rookie season than most quarterbacks. After playing just one season in the National Football League, O'Connell will be playing for his third offensive coordinator.
While the young quarterback played admirably this season, there were times when his and the offense's limitations held the team back. There weren't many games, if any, that O'Connell singlehandedly lost, which was an upgrade from the quarterback he replaced.
However, there were times when slightly better play from O'Connell could have helped the Raiders win an extra game or two, which would have been enough to get them into the playoffs.
The Las Vegas Raiders have announced they will have a competition for their starting quarterback position this offseason. With an already young quarterback in O'Connell, it would make much more sense to have him battle for the starting position with a veteran quarterback than another young quarterback like himself.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler says quarterback Russell Wilson could be open to a deal that would make the Raiders a perfect fit for the veteran quarterback.
"Everybody I've talked to around the league expects the Denver Broncos at some point around the new league year in the next few weeks to rip the band-aid off and release Russell Wilson even though they owe him $39 million in guaranteed money," Fowler said.
"But they can start new. He can go sign somewhere else. The feeling is he'll sign for considerably less, maybe even the league minimum because he's got all that money in hand guaranteed. And so, he's going to have options. The feeling I get from talking to teams and scouts is that he's still an NFL starter. There will be a job somewhere for him."
Signing Wilson could be a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Raiders. It is a move they must consider.
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick.
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