The Las Vegas Raiders ushered in a new leadership regime this offseason, which has already brought significant changes to the roster. With the 2025 NFL Draft imminent, it appears another young Raiders’ starter could be on his way out.
After bringing in a new front office and coaching staff, the Raiders acquired quarterback Geno Smith and signed running back Raheem Mostert. Las Vegas also made numerous changes defensively, including at cornerback and linebacker. Those offseason moves might now be the reason a multi-year starter will be shopped during the upcoming NFL Draft.
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The Athletic‘s Vic Tafur wrote that the Raiders “might trade” quarterback Aidan O’Connell during the 2025 NFL Draft. With the new regime seemingly determined to take a developmental quarterback, O’Connell becomes expendable to Las Vegas.
O’Connell, heading into his age-27 season, was the 135th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Las Vegas believed he had starting upside, giving him opportunities both in 2023 under former head coach Josh McDaniels and then in 2024 under Antonio Pierce. Even with multiple coaching changes, he played relatively well.
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- Aidan O’Connell stats (ESPN): 3,830 passing yards, 20-11 TD-INT, 85.1 QB rating, 62.6% completion rate, 6.5 yards per attempt, 2 rushing touchdowns in 20 games played
However, the regime that brought O’Connell in is now gone. With Raiders’ co-owner Tom Brady and first-year general manager John Spytek now overseeing the search for the next franchise quarterback in Las Vegas, there are no ties to O’Connell.
With many anticipating Las Vegas to spend a Day 2 pick on a quarterback, there’s no future with the team for O’Connell. Instead, the Raiders can flip him during the 2025 NFL Draft for a mid-round pick and then use that selection to add more meaningful depth at another position.
- Aidan O’Connell contract (Spotrac): $1.157 million cap hit in 2025, $1.272 million cap hit in 2026
O’Connell still has two years left on his deal. Considering he is owed less than $2.5 million total over the next two years, which is much more affordable than some backup quarterback contracts, he should have a relatively strong trade market. A trade could work out for both sides, with O’Connell receiving a fresh start and the Raiders using the pick they acquire to fortify their defense.
