Raiders second year quarterback Aidan O’Connell is no stranger to competition, and proving doubters wrong is something he did his whole career in college at Purdue. O’Connell started his career in college as a walk-on, at one point he was literally listed as eighth on the depth chart. When his career at Purdue was all said and done, he was the school’s all-time leader in completion percentage (66.7%), 500 yard passing games (2), and passing efficiency (141.8). Keep in mind, this is the same college that future hall of fame and former Saints’ QB Drew Brees played at.
In 2017 and 2018, O’Connell didn’t even play. In 2019, he finally got an opportunity when a couple of Purdue’s quarterbacks went down. In 2019 he appeared in six games and started three of them. He completed 103 out of 164 pass attempts for 1,101 passing yards and eight touchdowns.
In 2020, O’Connell got the opportunity to start the season and started the first three games before missing the rest of the season due to injury. However, in those three games, he completed 88 of 136 passing attempts, for 916 passing yards and seven touchdowns. He was averaging 305.3 passing yards per game.
In 2021 he appeared in 12 games while making nine starts. He threw for 3,712 yards and 28 touchdowns. His passing efficiency was 158.8, and went 315-of-439 passing for a 71.8% completion percentage. He set the completion percentage record and passing efficiency record, which was previously held by Drew Brees, and finished tied fourth in completions, fifth in passing yards and fourth in touchdowns. He had six games of 300 or more yards and joined Drew Brees as the only Purdue Boilermakers to throw for multiple 500 yard passing games in the same season. In the last five games, O’Connell threw for 2,161 yards, 19 touchdowns and a 72.5% completion percentage.
In 2022, he led the Big Ten conference in passing yards per game (290.8), and completions per game (26.7), ranked second in total passing yards (3,490), and third in passing touchdowns (22). He started 12 games, completing 320-of-499 passes and threw for 300+ yards in six different games for the second straight season.
In 2023, O’Connell’s rookie season, he was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft (Pick 135 overall). He started as the third string QB, behind starter Jimmy Garoppolo and veteran Brian Hoyer. He was never expected to play, let alone start. Things changed fast, especially once head coach (Interim head coach at the time) Antonio Pierce took over. O’Connell ended up playing in 11 games, starting the last 10 of them his rookie season. In the game he played in but didn’t start, he came in the game with the game out of reach and almost led a big comeback but fell short in the end. However, he won his first two games as a starter and finished the season 5-5. He threw for 2,218 yards, 13 total touchdowns (One rushing touchdown) With seven interceptions and a 62.1% completion percentage. He finished the season the last four games throwing eight touchdowns, zero interceptions.
Conclusion
Like I said, Aidan O’Connell is no stranger to competition. Him and veteran Gardner Minshew will be battling for the starting QB position in training camp and preseason July-August. As of now though, O’Connell has the slight edge to win the starting job because the coaching staff would like to give him the chance to be the future and Davante Adams is also a big fan of him and already has a ton of chemistry with him as well.
