Last season, quarterback Aidan O’Connell was unexpectedly elevated to the starting quarterback position halfway through his rookie season. The young quarterback led a team filled with veterans to a 5-4 record during the second half of the season, performing admirably considering all that was thrown his way. While he showed potential to be the answer at quarterback for the Raiders, he also showed room for improvement.
Earlier this offseason, Raiders general manager Tom Telesco signed former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew, as the Raiders wanted to give O’Connell the chance to earn the starting position this offseason. For O’Connell, as with any quarterback, winning the starting position is not solely about performance during offseason practices. Other things go into it as well.
Raiders Passing Game Coordinator Scott Turner said he sees qualities in O’Connell that make him a natural for the starting quarterback position. O’Connell is the opposite of the high-profile professional quarterback that comes to mind. Instead, he is a poised, humble young man who just so happens to play the most critical position in football.
"Aidan [O'Connell] is such a great, focused young man,” Turner said. “I mean, he's obviously a second-year player, but he conducts himself like a veteran. He has a great balance of understanding leadership and work and talking to the right way, but also, it's not fake, and he's one of the guys, too.”
Turner noted O’Connell’s ability to connect with other players on the roster, regardless of their position. The second-year quarterback has continued to work hard this offseason as he looks to solidify himself as the team’s starting quarterback. Turner said O’Connell has earned respect in the locker room.
“He can connect with the other players because I've seen it that way where a quarterback, especially like a young player, is so focused on being the leader, then he kind of loses sight of kind of the brotherhood and camaraderie that this game is so important obviously when you face adversity,” Turner said. “I think the work that he's put in, he's earned the respect and the trust of the other players in this locker room. And then he also has a good sense of humor, so he's good being one of the guys and connecting people as well."
