Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell ‘should be good to go’ vs. Jaguars

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  • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN staff writerDecember 20, 2024, 3:29 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. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell “should be good to go” to start Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Friday.

This after O’Connell was carted off the field while wearing a cast on his left leg on Dec. 8 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and missed Monday night’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

He has trained fully this week.

“It felt great,” O’Connell said earlier this week. “Yeah, it felt really good. It’s always fun just to be out there with the guys again, and yeah, the body felt great.”

O’Connell lost a game in training camp to free agent Gardner Minshew, but took over for an ineffective Minshew in Week 6.

A broken thumb on his right hand suffered in his second start sidelined O’Connell for four games before he again replaced Minshew, who suffered a season-ending broken collarbone on November 24.

O’Connell then suffered the knee injury in Tampa Bay and was replaced by Desmond Ridder against the Falcons.

“I’ve definitely seen a lot more than I wanted to this year, from the sideline or wherever, so it’s definitely been frustrating not being on the field,” said O’Connell, who has started four of the six games, where he has played this season. “I think I learned a lot in high school and college, both having to sit on the bench for a while and wait my turn. (It) definitely taught me patience.

“But at the same time, I think I know what it’s like to have to work and when you’re not out there and maybe not able to see the progress day by day, but (I) just have to trust process.”

O’Connell, who started 10 games for the Raiders as a rookie, has passed for 899 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 63.2% of his passes.

“If you’re just living game by game, I think that’s a dangerous place to be and so I’m definitely going to focus and make it a one-game season,” he said. “But there is a lot of football to be played, I hope, for the rest of my career.

“So I’m just taking the chance as it is, and I think when you put too much pressure on yourself, you put yourself in a bad position. So I’m just going to lock in and focus on this week and whatever is to come after that, I’ll worry about later.”

The Raiders, who have lost 10 straight games, are tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in the league at 2-12, while the Jaguars are 3-11.