The Las Vegas Raiders traveled to Inglewood, California, to lose to the Los Angeles Rams 15-20, losing three in a row and falling to 2-5. The Raiders quarterback room struggled to get into a consistent rhythm all game, combining for 206 passing yards (excluding yards lost from sacks) and three interceptions. They also failed to connect with receivers not named Brock Bowers, who had 93 of the team’s 206 yards.
To make matters worse, their starting quarterback for yesterday’s game exited early with an injury.
The Las Vegas Raiders starter suffered a thumb injury
Aidan O’Connell suffered a thumb injury after attempting a deep pass, and safety Kamren Curl hit his throwing hand on the follow-through in their second drive. O’Connell would play the next snap, but that would be his last. He was spotted wearing a splint on his thumb and told the media he tried to toughen it out but couldn’t.
“I threw it, and it didn’t feel great,” O’Connell told reporters of his injury after the game. “I tried to tough it out but, yeah, it does not feel great.
“Super unfortunate,” O’Connell said. “I was really looking forward to today and this opportunity, and so for it to be cut short like that was definitely hard.”
He will miss some time
According to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Aidan O’Connell suffered a fractured thumb against the Los Angeles Rams. The Las Vegas Raiders expect O’Connell to miss anywhere from 4-to-6 weeks and is an injured reserve candidate. However, there is optimism he will return this season.
#Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell is heading to Injured Reserve with a fractured thumb, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo following tests.
O’Connell, who had resumed starting before his injury, is out 4-6 weeks. He has a chance to return the season. pic.twitter.com/NKLByRwU8c
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2024
O’Connell has started their last two matchups but has participated in four of their seven games this season. He has completed 52 out of 82 pass attempts for 455 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 0-2 record.
Who starts at QB?
Gardner Minshew will replace Aidan O’Connell in the starting rotation. Minshew initially won the starting quarterback job, but the Las Vegas Raiders benched him in two of his five starts, and O’Connell got the starting nod in Weeks 6 and 7. So far, he has completed 114 out of 174 pass attempts for 1,168 yards, four touchdowns, eight interceptions, and a 2-3 record.
Who serves as the backup?
The Las Vegas Raiders will likely elevate or promote Carter Bradley to the active roster to serve as the backup quarterback. Bradley played college football for the Toledo Rockets from 2018-2021 and the South Alabama Jaguars from 2022-2023 before being undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Raiders signed him as an undrafted free agent but waived him during the roster cutdown deadline and re-signed him to the practice squad.
Another option is to sign/acquire a veteran quarterback. Ryan Tannehill is the best available quarterback who remains unsigned. However, Tannehill is waiting for the right opportunity, and the Raiders situation is far from ideal.