Antonio Pierce Makes 2-Word Plea After Naming Aidan O'Connell Raiders' Starting QB

After dropping to 2-3 on the season following a 34-18 loss to the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce decided to make a quarterback change.

Pierce had previously pulled Gardner Minshew, who was named the team's starter before the season, in favor of Aidan O'Connell twice this season. However, the games were mostly out of reach on the two occasions.

Minshew has been up and down throughout the start of the year, but now it'll be O'Connell's show in Week 6 after being named QB1 for the matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But with great power comes great responsibility, and Pierce has just one big ask of O'Connell.

When a question about what the goal for O'Connell is, Pierce not only had a specific answer, but repeated it three times, as ESPN's Paul Gutierrez revealed.

"Take care of the football," Pierce said. "No turnovers. No turnovers. No turnovers."

While Pierce wasn't taking a shot at Minshew with the comments, the former starter's turnovers were a glaring issue. Through five games, Minshew completed 70.7 percent of his passes but threw four touchdowns and five interceptions.

Aidan O'Connell's Outlook & Gardner Minshew's Turnover Woes

Not surprisingly, in both games O'Connell played this season, the quarterback change came on a drive immediately after Minshew threw an interception. In the loss to the Broncos, O'Connell's number was called during the third quarter.

The second-year pro struggled against the Broncos, completing 10-of-20 passes for just 94 yards and one interception. His brief stint against the Carolina Panthers in a 36-22 loss went far more smoothly, though. After replacing Minshew in the fourth quarter, he completed 9-of-12 passes for 82 yards and one touchdown.

O'Connell, who the Raiders selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, played 11 games as a rookie while starting 10. He posted a 5-5 record as a starter, completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

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