Raiders' Pierce: Aidan O'Connell 'Earned That Right' to Compete with Minshew as QB1

As the Las Vegas Raiders gear up to figure out their starting quarterback for the 2024 season, head coach Antonio Pierce said that whoever the starter is will have to compete against Aidan O'Connell, per NFL.com's Coral Smith.

"At the end of the day, listen, Aidan O'Connell played his ass off. He did a helluva job for us," Pierce said. "You're talking about a kid that has the mental toughness to play in the National Football League. Whatever happens and whatever we do it has to go through Aidan O'Connell. Being honest with you because he's earned that right."

In 11 games last year, O'Connell had 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

The Raiders recently added Gardner Minshew to the quarterback mix, making for what should be a competitive offseason to determine who will be the starter.

"Like anybody else it's all about competition," Pierce said. "And if we can make that room the most competitive room on our team, the quarterback room, we'll be a good football team."

O'Connell, a rookie out of Purdue, took over as the starter in October after a 1-3 start for the Raiders. While he couldn't do enough to get Las Vegas into the playoffs, he led the Raiders to a respectable finish that included a win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.

O'Connell didn't have a perfect rookie year, but he showed promise that he could be a franchise player for the Raiders.

Las Vegas' newest member of the quarterback room, Minshew, threw for 3,305 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions after taking over as the Indianapolis Colts starter when rookie Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending injury.

While both O'Connell and Minshew could be viable options for Las Vegas, a third option could come through the draft. The Raiders have the No. 13 pick but are reportedly exploring trading up to draft a quarterback out of a loaded 2024 class.