Where Aidan O'Connell Ranks Among Backup Quarterbacks In The NFL

After Gardner Minshew was named the Las Vegas Raiders ' starting quarterback a couple of weeks ago, he's rightfully earned most of the attention from the media.

Meanwhile, Aidan O'Connell, who's now been resigned to the backup role, has gotten a bit less attention. Although the backup quarterback role doesn't get much notice, it's easily the most important second-string position on the roster.

With that in mind, Maurice Moton with Bleacher Report recently published an article in which he ranked every backup QB in the league. O'Connell came in 12th. He was included alongside several quarterbacks in the third tier, which was titled 'Serviceable Backups With Glaring Flaws or Limitations'.

In their analysis, Moton mentions that these QB's can command a huddle, but there will be repeated errors or limitations that come along with them. The Raiders saw a couple of those in O'Connell during the team's first two preseason games, and that's part of the reason he lost the starting job.

"As a spot starter, O'Connell could be effective," said Moton. "But he's at the mercy of his pass protection, and he may already be close to his developmental ceiling in his second season."

During the 11 games O'Connell appeared in during his rookie season, he completed 61.1% of his passes, throwing for 2,218 yards, with 12 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. His extremely average 83.9 passer rating was an excellent example of his overall level of play.

O'Connell was decent statistically during the 2024 preseason, but a pick six on his last pass against the Dallas Cowboys cemented his fate as the backup, to start the season at least.

Minshew doesn't inspire a ton of confidence at the moment either, so O'Connell could very well see the field at some point in 2024. If he does, the Raiders will at least have one of the better backups in the league.

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