Some teams don't have a single quarterback that they're confident in, and the Las Vegas Raiders have certainly been there more often than they'd like to have been over the last 20-plus years.
But if things go a certain, somewhat expected way between now and Week 1, then they may end up having three signal-callers that they would be comfortable starting, if it came to that.
At a glance, the Raiders have a good problem when it comes to Aidan O'Connell. It's rare that a No. 3 quarterback has 17 respectable starts on his résumé, and with the turnover that the Raiders have had during his tenure, there isn't much that O'Connell hasn't seen in terms of offensive philosophy.
But it's also a complicated equation with O'Connell. He would like the opportunity to start somewhere, as anyone would entering the final year of their contract.
It's unlikely that he'll find a clear starting opportunity, via a trade this year or upon hitting free agency next March, but a path to that is especially difficult in Las Vegas. Something would have had to have gone wrong for him to make multiple starts during the 2026 NFL season.
As other teams figure out their quarterback depth charts during training camp and preseason games, O'Connell could become a trade target. How much general manager John Spytek would entertain the possibility would become the question, but he should at least be willing to listen.
Out of nowhere potential Aidan O'Connell suitor could make Raiders an offer they shouldn't refuse
It is the slow time on the NFL calendar before training camps start, so things that otherwise don't really register can stand out more than they usually would. Carolina Panthers quarterback Will Grier announcing his retirement is clearly one of those things, but it also leaves their depth chart behind Bryce Young looking even more lackluster.
The Panthers' current QB room is Bryce Young, Kenny Pickett, and Haynes King https://t.co/ISrjnD6FSC
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) July 15, 2026
Piggybacking on Ben Solak's look at the Panthers' current quarterback room, Ted Nguyen of The Athletic offered them as a potential destination for O'Connell.
A potential AOC destination https://t.co/d4BCltNOty
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) July 15, 2026
When O'Connell suffered an injury during the 2025 preseason, the Raiders traded for Kenny Pickett. If Geno Smith hadn't been Pete Carroll's BFF, Pickett might have played more with no real difference in the results. His journey from overdrafted first-round pick to career backup simply moved to Carolina.
Rookie Haynes King is an interesting prospect. His immediate NFL-readiness is a question, though, along with whether he'll ever become a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, or even a backup. To call him "Tim Tebow 2.0" is not a stretch at all right now.
The Panthers are also not yet committing to Young as their long-term quarterback. Early in the 2024 season, he was benched in favor of Andy Dalton for a few games. Fans may remember the first of Dalton's five starts that year, when he threw for 319 yards and three scores in a Raiders beatdown.
It's entirely possible the Panthers see how their backup quarterback situation is going in late July or early August and don't really care for what's developing. Pickett shouldn't be guaranteed anything, and King may simply be too green to be relied on as the QB2.
Not having a viable backup quarterback as they look to defend their NFC South title is less than ideal.
So, there absolutely is a plausible scenario where the Panthers make a call to the Raiders about O'Connell at some point between now and the start of the season. Maybe, in line with that dismal-looking scenario for them, they'd make a better trade offer than any other potential suitor will.
It has been rare for a Raiders general manager to have the upper hand in trade negotiations over the years. But Spytek could land there when it comes to O'Connell, with a new and potentially desperate suitor now a possibility.
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