The Las Vegas Raiders trotted out three different starting quarterbacks this past season, but stuck with Aidan O'Connell once Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach. That tandem ended up going 5-4 down the stretch, and even beat Kansas City on the road, though O'Connell did not complete a pass after the first quarterback.
This offseason, you can expect some change to come at the position group once more, as Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer are not likely to return for another season in Las Vegas. That leaves O'Connell as the only man standing at the position, something that general manager Tom Telesco will look to change immediately.
The Raiders are rumored to be in play for a first-round quarterback, or possibly even bringing in a veteran in free agency or via a trade. One thing is for sure, there is going to be some new faces in that quarterback room in 2024, and a recent article by Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr has them making a move that would likely enrage the fan base.
SI has the Raiders bringing in Sam Darnold this offseason
Naming one bold prediction for each NFL franchise, Orr wrote that the Raiders should bring in Sam Darnold to battle it out with O'Connell this offseason. Darnold is a former No. 3 overall pick, but he has accomplished nothing at the NFL level, and is widely viewed as a backup.
A move for Darnold does not move the needle, and this is a scenario that I believe has no chance of becoming a reality.
Also in the piece, Orr states the New York Jets bold prediction to be either Davante Adams or Mike Evans landing in New York with the team. Evans and Baker Mayfield have already said they want to run it back in Tampa Bay, and all indications from Las Vegas are that Adams is not going anywhere this offseason.
Going into next season with O'Connell and Darnold battling it out for the starting job at quarterback would be a nightmare for the Raiders. Las Vegas is going to be aggressive in bringing in real competition for O'Connell this offseason, and a move like Darnold does nothing to improve the position group as a whole.