Four seasons, 4 caput coaches, 7 playcallers for Aidan O’Connell, who prepares for the 2026 run with the lone extremity he’s ever had.
Said the Las Vegas Raiders backmost Tuesday greeting aft the archetypal time of mandatory minicamp: “Find my mode successful the (NFL) and hopefully beryllium a long-time starter. That’s what I’m moving for. It’s what I’m trying to do.”
O’Connell mightiness beryllium caught successful the crossfire of a backmost conflict he’s not destined to triumph betwixt 15th-year passer (and apt Week 1 starter) Kirk Cousins and No. 1 draught prime Fernando Mendoza. But the erstwhile starter and steadfast backup hasn’t relinquished his volition to vie and vie for a occupation arsenic a starter down center.
Be it successful Las Vegas oregon determination else.
“Who knows what volition happen?” O’Connell pondered rhetorically wrong Intermountain Health Performance Center, his thickened mustache framing his fervor.
”Who knows wherever it’ll be? But that’s the goal.”
A walk-on turned starting Purdue backmost turned fourth-round draught prime successful 2023 — acknowledgment to erstwhile Raiders manager Josh McDaniels and wide manager Dave Ziegler — O’Connell has been hardened by contention he’s faced passim his shot career. Hence the steely, determined attack that complements his affable demeanor, connected show astatine the quality league podium astatine which helium spoke for astir minutes.
That aft handling second-team reps passim the two-plus hr practice.
Explained O’Connell, 27 and turning 28 successful September: “I’ve been competing fundamentally each twelvemonth since I was successful precocious school, and truthful it’s truly thing caller to me. Obviously, it’s caller people, it’s a caller playbook, but too that, it’s inactive competing, trying to enactment your champion ft guardant each day, and rather literally, the lone happening I tin bash is bash my best. And so, conscionable trying to absorption connected that, beryllium a large teammate, and fto it play retired however it will.”
O’Connell has 17 starts (and 21 games played) to his recognition — nether McDaniels and erstwhile Raiders manager Antonio Pierce — and has proved a viable plug-and-play enactment passim his three-plus twelvemonth career. His 3,932 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and 7-10 grounds are underscored by a Christmas Day triumph successful 2023 implicit the Super Bowl winning Kansas City Chiefs.
Cousins successful immoderate ways relates to O’Connell arsenic a erstwhile Big Ten standout (Michigan State) and fourth-round prime whose vocation hadn’t crystallized done his archetypal 3 seasons with the Washington Commanders. A 2-7 grounds and 14 games played preceded a breakout run for Cousins, who started his 4th play — and 142 games since.
“I truly judge powerfully that Aidan’s champion shot successful this league is up of him,” Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler, said, highlighting the merit of his 4th pro season. ”There’s a batch astir Aidan O’Connell wherever I say, ‘Why can’t this feline person a long, palmy vocation successful this league?’ Like, I’m conscionable seeing each the traits that you person to person to beryllium a large subordinate successful this league. So, I deliberation he’s got a agleam aboriginal and his champion football’s up of him.”
For present and arsenic agelong he’s a Raider, O’Connell is committed to mastering the strategy first-year caput manager Klint Kubiak has spent the offseason installing successful Las Vegas. It bears immoderate traits, O’Connell said, of the discourtesy helium ran successful his 2nd season, organized by erstwhile violative coordinator Luke Getsy.
Like McDaniels successful O’Connell’s rookie year, fired and replaced by Bo Hardegree arsenic playcaller, Getsy didn’t decorativeness the season, ceding playcalling to Scott Turner. Chip Kelly started past play arsenic erstwhile manager Pete Carroll’s violative coordinator, lone excessively to beryllium relieved midseason successful favour of Greg Olson.
Another caput coach, different playcaller, different accidental to vie for O’Connell.
“You got to nutrient successful the NFL,” helium said. “And so, too my woman and my parents, nary one’s truly going to consciousness atrocious for me. So, effort to spell retired determination and compete, nary substance who’s calling plays oregon who’s retired there.”
Contact Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected X.
English (US)·