In an offseason that saw the Las Vegas Raiders hire a new head coach, add Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza and trade Maxx Crosby, then get him back, somehow, one of the main storylines as of late has been the play and long-term prognosis for backup quarterback Aidan O'Connell.
Klint Kubiak told reporters that O'Connell cannot be counted out of the equation under center just yet, and that caused a bit of a media storm. But even with Cousins co-signing how well O'Connell has played, Raider Nation knows better than to believe that him starting is a possibility.
The actual decision at hand for Las Vegas is whether or not O'Connell factors into the quarterback room as a long-term backup to Mendoza. But with O'Connell telling the media that he wants to be a starter, it may be tougher for the Raiders to keep him around.
So, what is the angle with all of this O'Connell hype, then? To some, it means that O'Connell will be the second-string quarterback ahead of Mendoza to begin the year. To me, it reads like an obvious way for the franchise to boost his trade value ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Las Vegas Raiders' recent Aidan O'Connell hype could be team trying to boost his trade value
Let's just look at the reality of the situation: Cousins is being paid $20 million to play quarterback for the Silver and Black, and Mendoza was the No. 1 overall pick. No disrespect to O'Connell, but the Raiders just aren't going to play a former fourth-round pick making $3.8 million. Investments matter.
And it may be a bit careless for Las Vegas, which has so many holes and depth issues on its current roster, to keep three quarterbacks in place of, say, an extra lineman, linebacker or defensive back. So, again, who stands out as the odd man out?
O'Connell has too much starting experience to last on the practice squad. I can comfortably say that, as it stands now, the Raiders are planning on Jacob Clark filling that role. And O'Connell is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so if he leaves next offseason, Las Vegas gets no compensation.
All of this is to say that the Silver and Black have a stake in O'Connell playing well, and it may not have to do with him being a quarterback for the Raiders. It seems like Kubiak has been fairly measured when talking about other players, but is making it a point to shout O'Connell out at every turn.
This may be a smart thing to do, as the better he plays and the more they hype him up, the more they could entice rival teams to trade for him. And the better they set him up for success in the preseason, the more they could potentially get in return.
Some have tabbed O'Connell as being worth a pair of Day 3 picks, which would likely be more than they'd get waiting for the compensatory pick formula to shake out if he signed elsewhere. And if they cut him before the season, the Raiders will obviously get nothing.
Several teams could use O'Connell's talents as a long-term backup, and he has some familiarity with people working for a handful of other franchises, given how much turnover has taken place in Las Vegas during his career.
It is not hard to believe that O'Connell is playing well during OTAs and mandatory minicamp. He is a smart player who picks up on things quickly and could have success in a quarterback-friendly offense like Kubiak's.
But it is a stretch to believe that O'Connell is truly in the running for the starting job under center and that his performance matches the hype he's been given. So, I still think that O'Connell gets traded before the season starts, and he may even welcome that.
If it does happen, we can all look back and realize what the Raiders were up to.
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