Aidan O'Connell - NFL News, Rumors, & Updates

Emergency QB3 for Week 17 O'Connell (coach's decision) is inactive but will serve as the Raiders' emergency third quarterback against the Giants on Sunday.

Impact O'Connell will not be allowed to play Sunday unless both Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett were to be taken out of the game due to injury, illness or ejection. O'Connell has yet to see regular-season action in 2025.

2 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Emergency QB for Week 14 O'Connell (coach's decision) is inactive but will serve as the Raiders' emergency third quarterback for Sunday's game against the Broncos.

Impact As the emergency QB3, O'Connell is not allowed to play Sunday unless both Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett were to leave the game due to injury, illness or ejection.

DECEMBER 7 • ROTOWIRE

Emergency QB3 for Week 13 O'Connell (coach's decision) is inactive but will serve as the Raiders' emergency third quarterback against the Chargers on Sunday.

Impact For a second straight week, O'Connell will be the Raiders' QB3 behind Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett. As the emergency quarterback, O'Connell is not allowed to play Sunday unless both Smith and Pickett were to leave the game due to injury, illness or ejection.

NOVEMBER 30 • ROTOWIRE

Emergency No. 3 QB O'Connell is the Raiders' inactive emergency third QB for Sunday's game against the Browns.

Impact The Raiders activated O'Connell -- who had fractured his right wrist in August -- from injured reserve Wednesday. Now that he's available, however, O'Connell is currently behind both Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett in the Raiders' signal-caller pecking order.

NOVEMBER 23 • ROTOWIRE

All clear for Week 12 O'Connell, who was activated off IR on Wednesday, does not have an injury designation for Sunday's matchup against Cleveland.

Impact O'Connell will be eligible to play for the first time this season after spending the first 11 weeks of the campaign on IR while recovering from a fractured wrist. With that said, it's unclear what the Raiders plan to do at the quarterback position Sunday and beyond. Geno Smith is in line for another start, but it hasn't yet been clarified if O'Connell or Kenny Pickett will be the No. 2 QB against Cleveland this weekend. Beyond that, Smith has struggled this season, and the Raiders -- who enter Week 12 with a 2-8 record -- could eventually decide to give O'Connell and/or Pickett a look behind center in what has become a lost season.

NOVEMBER 22 • ROTOWIRE

Jack Bech, Aidan O'Connell using NFL's My Cause My Cleats to pay homage to their brothers Having lost their brothers unexpectedly, both O'Connell and Bech are putting a spotlight on their family foundations during the league-wide...

NOVEMBER 20 • RAIDERS.COM

Raiders finally make long-awaited Aidan O'Connell move fans knew was coming The Las Vegas Raiders finally make the long-awaited Aidan O'Connell move that fans knew was coming.

NOVEMBER 19 • JUSTBLOGBABY.COM

Activated from IR The Raiders activated O'Connell (wrist) from injured reserve Wednesday.

Impact O'Connell fractured his right wrist during the preseason and was out for more than two months before returning to practice at the end of October. Geno Smith's poor performance this season could open the door for O'Connell and/or Kenny Picket to make starts down the stretch.

NOVEMBER 19 • ROTOWIRE

Not ready to return O'Connell (wrist) has been ruled out for Monday's game against Dallas, Anthony Galaviz of The Fresno Bee reports.

Impact Despite being a full participant in practice all week, the Raiders will leave O'Connell on injured reserve for Week 11. His 21-day window to return from IR opened Oct. 29, and if he's not activated from IR before the window closes, he would be required to sit out for the entire 2025 season.

NOVEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE

Remaining on IR for Week 10 O'Connell (wrist) has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Broncos.

Impact O'Connell has been a full practice participant since his 21-day practice window opened Oct. 29, but the third-year pro is not quite ready to be activated from injured reserve. O'Connell is recovering from surgery to repair a fractured right wrist that he sustained during the preseason, but with the Raiders on a bye Week 11, he has a good shot at being available for Week 12 against the Cowboys on Monday, Nov. 17. Kenny Pickett will continue to serve as the Raiders' backup quarterback behind starter Geno Smith for as long as O'Connell is sidelined.

NOVEMBER 6 • ROTOWIRE

Pete Carroll says 2-6 Raiders are focused on winning now, not rebuilding

Pete Carroll has taken a short-term approach with the Las Vegas Raiders since becoming their coach in January

NOVEMBER 3 • Associated Press

Won't return for Week 9 O'Connell (wrist) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's game against the Jaguars.

Impact O'Connell has been sidelined all season while recovering from wrist surgery. He practiced fully all week but will not return Sunday, leaving Kenny Pickett as the Raiders' backup quarterback.

NOVEMBER 1 • ROTOWIRE

Practices fully O'Connell (wrist) practiced in full Wednesday, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Impact O'Connell fractured his wrist late in the preseason and has been sidelined since. It's positive that he was immediately able to log a full practice, but he will still need to be activated from injured reserve before suiting up for game action.

OCTOBER 29 • ROTOWIRE

Practice window to open The Raiders intend to designate O'Connell (wrist) for a return to practice from IR in Week 9, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Impact O'Connell has missed the entire regular season so far due to a right wrist fracture suffered late August, but it sounds like Las Vegas will open his 21-day practice window as soon as Wednesday. Once healthy, O'Connell will provide the Raiders with a new No. 3 quarterback option behind Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett.

OCTOBER 29 • ROTOWIRE

Officially shifts to IR The Raiders placed O'Connell (wrist) on injured reserve Wednesday, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Las Vegas general manger John Spytek said Wednesday that O'Connell is recovering from surgery undergone to address the right wrist fracture he suffered this preseason, per McFadden. As a response, Raiders traded for Kenny Pickett (hamstring) from Cleveland to back up Geno Smith on Monday. O'Connell will be required to miss at least the first four games of the regular season as a result of his placement on IR, and once healthy it seems as though he'll slide to the No. 3 quarterback spot behind Pickett.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Amari Cooper's 'unfinished business' brings him back to the Raiders

Amari Cooper has rejoined the Raiders, the team that drafted him in 2015

AUGUST 27 • Associated Press

Browns trade QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders, where he'll back up Geno Smith

Kenny Pickett is on the move again

AUGUST 26 • Associated Press

Raiders trade for veteran QB after injury to Aidan O'Connell The Raiders acquired Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett, who will become the team’s backup after an injury to Aidan O’Connell in Sat...

AUGUST 26 • REVIEWJOURNAL.COM

Raiders in market for 'experienced' QB after Aidan O'Connell's brutal injury The Raiders are looking for a new quarterback. Not a starter — but not a prospect, either.

AUGUST 25 • NYPOST.COM

Expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks O'Connell has a fractured right wrist and is likely to miss 6-to-8 weeks, Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com reports.

Impact O'Connell suffered the injury during Saturday's preseason loss to Arizona. It's the second major injury in as many years for the 2023 fourth-round draft selection, who had a stint on IR last season due to a fractured thumb. O'Connell had been slated to be Las Vegas' No. 2 QB behind Geno Smith, but that role could now go to rookie Cam Smith -- at least for the first several weeks of the regular season -- unless the team acquires another QB in free agency or via trade.

AUGUST 24 • ROTOWIRE

Ruled out with wrist injury O'Connell won't return to Saturday's preseason game at Arizona due to a right wrist injury, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

Impact After starting quarterback Geno Smith led the Raiders to a touchdown on their opening possession, O'Connell took over the offense for two drives of his own, one in which he lost a fumble and the other that resulted in a successful Daniel Carlson field goal. Per Ryan McFadden of ESPN.com, O'Connell then went to the locker room before being ruled out. Cam Miller entered the contest in place of O'Connell.

AUGUST 24 • ROTOWIRE

Raiders' trade partner for Aidan O'Connell is painfully obvious after preseason dud The Las Vegas Raiders have an obvious trade partner in the Tennessee Titans if they choose to move quarterback Aidan O'Connel..

AUGUST 11 • JUSTBLOGBABY.COM

Upcoming Important Training Camp for Raiders' QB Aidan O'Connell Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell will have an important training camp in a couple of weeks. O’Connell has a chance to show that...

JULY 13 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Raiders Predicted to Trade Aidan O'Connell During NFL Draft, Replace Him With CFP QB Las Vegas is expected to move on from Aidan O’Connell in favor of a rookie QB.

APRIL 18 • KANSASCITY.COM

Stuck in backup role again The Raiders recently traded for Geno Smith, leaving O'Connell as the likely No. 2 quarterback for 2015.

Impact O'Connell got a chance to compete for the starting job last summer, losing out to Gardner Minshew (collarbone) but then taking over mid-season. Minshew ended up taking the job back after O'Connell suffered a thumb fracture, with things later swinging back to the latter after the former broke his collarbone. The team released Minshew on Wednesday, leaving O'Connell in the clear for the second spot on the depth chart, albeit without any chance to push Smith for the starting role.

MARCH 13 • ROTOWIRE

AIDAN O'CONNELL NEWS

NEWS

BIO

STATS

VIDEOS

GAME LOG

INJURIES

Pete Carroll says 2-6 Raiders are focused on winning now, not rebuilding

Amari Cooper's 'unfinished business' brings him back to the Raiders

Browns trade QB Kenny Pickett to the Raiders, where he'll back up Geno Smith