Why This Decision Raiders Made Was No-Brainer

Part of the reason Klint Kubiak was hired, among other reasons, was his work with Sam Darnold and other quarterbacks. With Las Vegas adding Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 overall pick and adding a signal-caller Kubiak is familiar with, Kirk Cousins quickly addressed the position group.

By adding Cousins and Mendoza, Las Vegas entered training camp with three quarterbacks to choose from to start the season. Raiders general manager John Spytek recently shared his thoughts on the quarterback group shortly after cutdown day.

“Well, number one, I think they all earned it. I also don't think you can have enough good quarterbacks. We saw some teams keep four, and we obviously have a lot of faith in Kirk [Cousins] and Fernando [Mendoza] as the number one pick,” Spytek said. 

“But to Aidan [O'Connell], Aidan's played really good football at times over his career here, and I thought he really took a step forward in OTAs. Given his opportunities in preseason, he was really good. None better than the drive in Houston to win that game for us."

All three quarterbacks can help the Raiders win games in different ways, which is an upgrade over their most recent quarterback rooms. Las Vegas' offense is sure to have its fair share of growing pains early in its first season under Kubiak.

However, for the first time in a long time, the quarterback position will not be the cause or a major contributor to the unit's issues. With the roster now set, Las Vegas can begin focusing on beating opposing teams rather than offseason positional battles.

Wise Decision

During training camp, some wondered whether the Raiders would move on from O'Connell. With Cousins leading and Mendoza waiting in the wings, O'Connell was often thought of as a potential trade piece for the Raiders. Although he still could be, keeping him on the roster said a lot.

Las Vegas' decision to keep three quarterbacks will be overlooked, but it was still wise nonetheless. O'Connell presents much more value to the Raiders than whatever their compensation would likely be in exchange for him via trade.

As the Raiders begin the season, they do so with no idea of how long Cousins will stay healthy or play at a high level. They also don't know when they will be comfortable enough to start Mendoza. O'Connell essentially serves as a safety net for both options. Kubiak shared his thoughts on the unit.

“I think there's so many examples both ways. I think the most important thing with the quarterback room or any other position is to build competition within the room, and that makes players so much better, faster than coaching. When they have a guy in front of them that they can look up to, and they can see how something's done, that's going to accelerate their growth," Kubiak said.

As the Raiders enter the 2026 season, they will do so with plenty of unknowns across the roster. Although it remains to be seen how things will play out, the unknowns are few at quarterback. Las Vegas is three-deep at the position. This is the most well-rounded group they have had in years.

Should something happen to Cousins' health or performance, the decision to keep three quarterbacks on the roster could easily turn into one of the best decisions they made. On paper, it may have seemed to some that the Raiders could move on from O'Connell.

However, after years of making the wrong decisions at quarterback, moving on from O'Connell this offseason would have been yet another one for the Raiders.