Raiders to start Aidan O’Connell at QB against Chiefs

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  • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN staff writerNovember 27, 2024, 2:59 PM ET

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      Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role – writing for ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Prior to joining ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA’s Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has written three books: Tommy Davis’ Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know and Do Before They Dieand ifThese walls could talk: Stories from the Raiders’ sideline, locker room and press boxwith Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN

HENDERSON, Nev. Aidan O’Connell, recovering from a broken thumb on his right hand, will start at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders at the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday.

“Aidan looks good,” Pierce said. “We’re going to throw the ball a little bit today in practice, but he’s done well over the last two days with some runs and obviously (practicing) indoors, but we’ll see how it goes today.

“But we feel good about Aidan. He’s obviously been called in this whole time he’s been on IR. He’s done all the meetings. He’s been very encouraging on the sidelines. He’s got that laser-eye focus right now . Great opportunity for him.”

O’Connell, on injured reserve since Oct. 22, had his practice window open Monday.

“It’s not 100%, but it’s pretty close,” O’Connell said Tuesday. “It’s felt pretty good the last few days throwing. I got to throw a little bit the last few weeks and it’s been good. It’s been kind of horrible not being able to do it.

“Being able to go out there and grab the football and throw a little bit has been great. So yeah, we’re progressing the way we want to … it’s not just throwing the ball 5 yards to a guy, it’s throwing routes deeper and things like that.”

O’Connell lost a game in training camp to free agent signing Gardner Minshew, but took over for an ineffective Minshew in Week 6. It was in O’Connell’s second start, at the Los Angeles Rams on October 22, that he suffered a broken thumb a follow-up to a delivery attempt.

“It was a broken bone, so there’s not much you can do except sit there and wait, which isn’t ideal,” O’Connell said. “But there are some modalities you can do in the training room and then just try to get soft tissue on it and range of motion, all those things. But yeah, a lot of it was sitting and waiting, which is not my favorite thing. .”

Minshew resumed starting after O’Connell’s injury, but then suffered a season-ending broken collarbone late in the Raiders’ 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

O’Connell, after sitting out four games, was then eligible to come off IR.

Desmond Ridder, who signed off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad on Oct. 22, has played sparingly in three games, completing 16 of 26 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown with a lost fumble. He has been fired six times.

O’Connell, meanwhile, has appeared in four games, two starts, and has passed for 455 yards completing 52 of 82 attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been fired three times.

He is the last quarterback to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, helping lead the Raiders to a 20-14 victory there last Christmas Day, although he did not complete a pass after the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are tied with the Lions for the best record in the NFL at 10-1, while the Raiders are tied with the Giants for the worst at 2-9.

“Let’s call a spade a spade … the best team in football against the worst team in football,” Pierce said. “Let’s change the narrative, shall we? Let’s just go out there, make it a dogfight, make it ugly, make it scrappy. It’s Black Friday, let’s create some chaos. Get back to Raider football and have it fun and (show) some personality and let it loose.”