The Las Vegas Raiders already needed a solid backup quarterback heading into the 2025 NFL season. But Aidan O'Connell's injury, combined with rookie sixth-rounder Cam Miller not showing enough to be the No. 2, has left the team in a predicament.
While there is no shortage of options out there, like the Cleveland Browns' Kenny Pickett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Kyle Trask or recently-waived Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Las Vegas will have to make sure that a player is both experienced but also not too pricey.
This balancing game will be a true test for new general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll, who will trim the roster down from 91 to 53 on Tuesday. One Raiders reporter may have just offered the least inspiring O'Connell replacement yet.
Raiders reporter links Ryan Tannehill to Las Vegas
On Sunday, Carroll spoke to reporters about their plans to attack the quarterback position now that O'Connell will be sidelined for 6-8 weeks. The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vincent Bonsignore provided an underwhelming candidate, to say the least.
"@Raiders coach Pete Carroll said the club will seek to acquire a veteran QB with playing experience to fill O'Connell's role. They will look at all markets," Bonsignore wrote. "Ryan Tannehill could be a possibility."
Tannehill was certainly an above-average quarterback in his prime, but those days are long gone. The last time he was on an NFL roster, he got replaced by Will Levis as the starting quarterback of the Tennessee Titans during the 2023 season.
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He spent all of last year sitting on the sidelines and has not played in a game since January of 2024. While his overall experience, which Carroll wants, may trump the fact that he has not played in so long, there has to be a more exciting option.
While he is certainly not the least mobile quarterback of all time, he has a knack for taking sacks, and his production was already dropping off before he sat out all of last season. In 2023, he threw just four touchdowns compared to seven interceptions in 10 games.
Las Vegas has ample cap space and draft capital, as well as a premier spot on the waiver wire. They should easily be able to find a suitable backup quarterback that may have some long-term upside instead of grabbing a retread quarterback whose best days are behind him.