Raiders activate QB Aidan O’Connell from IR

O’Connell was activated from injured reserve on Wednesday, per a team announcement. The 27-year-old suffered his injury in training camp, ensuring missed time during the regular season would be in store. Many expected the Raiders to move O’Connell to IR during roster cutdowns and in doing so make hi m one of many players around the league who were designated for return at that point.

Instead, Vegas carried O’Connell on the roster until moving him to IR one day after cutdowns. In need of a backup option, the team traded for Kenny Pickett in a move which cleared some of Cleveland’s quarterback logjam ahead of the season. Pickett has made a pair of appearances so far this year.

Geno Smith has handled QB1 duties in 2025, his reunion season with head coach Pete Carroll. Things have not gone according to plan on offense for the 2-8 Raiders, but no change under center is currently receiving consideration. Smith will continue in the starter’s role as a result. O’Connell could replace Pickett as the Raiders’ backup, though. Pickett is a pending free agent while O’Connell’s rookie deal runs through 2026.

Taken in the fourth round of the 2023 draft by a previous Raiders regime, O’Connell has made 17 starts to date in his career. The Purdue product – whose practice window was opened three weeks ago – is not in position to add to that total any time soon. Still, it will be interesting to see how O’Connell is handled by the Raiders under Carroll and first-year general manager John Spytek moving forward.

Today’s move leaves the Raiders with six IR activations on the year. O’Connell’s first game action could come as early as Week 12 against the Browns.