Dec 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (12) calls for the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Where Do Raiders' Backup Quarterbacks Rank?

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated May 30, 2025 2:53 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are looking like a whole new team this offseason. They have made a lot of different moves that will be better for the franchise heading into the 2025 season.

One of those moves they made was bringing in veteran quarterback Geno Smith this offseason to give the team a quarterback who knows how to win and has great leadership skills. The Silver and Black are hoping Smith can give them stability at the position as well. That is something that the Raiders have not had in a while, and it is something that will bring success to the franchise.

Smith is expected to be the starter heading into the 2025 season, but there is going to be a little bit of competition with backup quarterback Aidan O'Connell as well. With Raiders' new head coach Pete Carroll, no starting spot is secure, and if Carroll feels like if a player is performing better than another, he is gonna go with the hot hand.

O'Connell is ready for anything and has gotten better over the offseason. We still have not seen enough if O'Connell can be a starting quarterback in this league or not. But the Raiders still want to evaluate him, and the new regime wants to see what they got in him. O'Connell has started games for the Raiders over the last few seasons, and that is why he is still valuable as a backup quarterback.

Even during the 2025 NFL Draft, there were other NFL teams trying to talk to the Raiders about trading for O'Connell. But the Raiders did not get an offer that was good enough to let O'Connell go. O'Connell has been working with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady as well this offseason to get better at the quarterback position.

Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated ranked O'Connell as the 12th overall backup quarterback in the league.

O’Connell displayed enough flashes to convince the Raiders he’s worthy of at least competing for the starting gig the past two seasons. But with 17 starts, O’Connell’s inconsistent performances made it clear he’s more of a backup than a reliable starter. There’s no doubt who will be the starter in Las Vegas after the trade for Geno Smith.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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