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Silver And Black Pride fantasy football takes on Aidan O'Connell
Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from Silver And Black Pride about Aidan O'Connell.
25
Insights
5
Positive
9
Negative
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All Silver And Black Pride insights about Aidan O'Connell
NegativeValueSep 12, 2026
Expected to be on the trade block. Brock Bowers previously touched on O'Connell in a related article and confirms he will be available for trade, contrasting with Kirk Cousins, whom Brock Bowers believes will stay with the team.NegativeDepth ChartSep 10, 2026
Veteran backup quarterback listed behind No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza in the backup competition. However, ESPN reported O'Connell could serve as the game-day backup early in the season due to his experience, creating a potential role despite the depth chart positioning.NegativeDepth ChartSep 9, 2026
O'Connell is listed behind Fernando Mendoza in the QB3/emergency spot on the Raiders' unofficial Week 1 depth chart. The source suggests the logic for positioning O'Connell as the emergency QB rather than active backup is to avoid a situation where the rookie's first appearance comes off the bench cold.NegativeRoleSep 5, 2026
Backup QB positioned as potential QB2 while Mendoza serves as emergency QB, a role arrangement designed to protect the rookie's development by having O'Connell absorb injury-replacement duty rather than throwing Mendoza into a chaotic situation cold off the bench. O'Connell is younger with starting experience, making him more tradable than Cousins if a team suffers a QB injury; becomes expendable if Mendoza starts or becomes the backup, putting him on the trade deadline table.NegativeDepth ChartSep 2, 2026
ESPN reported that Aidan O'Connell could start the season as Kirk Cousins' backup, which would make Fernando Mendoza the emergency quarterback (No. 3) to start the season. This depth chart positioning is part of Mendoza's development process, though the exact arrangement likely won't be confirmed until the inactives are announced before the Miami game on September 13.NegativeRoleAug 31, 2026
Fourth-year QB in contract year kept by Kubiak despite poor preseason performance (22-for-46, 47.8% completion, 283 yards, 0 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD) and lack of trade interest. Kirk Cousins is Week 1 starter and rookie Fernando Mendoza is the QB of the future; O'Connell's backup role is uncertain and other teams passed on acquiring him despite being in the market for backup QBs (Kyle McCord and Quinn Ewers were traded on cutdown day). Raiders may keep him to prevent Mendoza from being thrown into a game if Cousins is injured, or wait for an injury to trade him mid-season.NegativeDepth ChartAug 30, 2026
O'Connell remains third-string quarterback behind Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza after the Raiders kept him on the 53-man roster. Coach Klint Kubiak had indicated this was a real possibility. The key question now is whether the Raiders will trade O'Connell or whether Mendoza or O'Connell will serve as the second-string quarterback during the regular season, assuming Cousins starts Week 1.NegativeProjectionAug 28, 2026
O'Connell's preseason tenure in Las Vegas has been inconsistent—shaky against Arizona, strong with a game-winning drive the following week, then another poor outing against San Francisco with three completions on nine attempts for 32 yards. This performance hurts any trade value the Raiders might have hoped to generate ahead of cutdown day.NegativeProjectionAug 28, 2026
Backup quarterback was not great in preseason finale a week after leading a comeback win at Houston; went three of nine for 32 yards in limited action.NegativeDepth ChartAug 26, 2026
O'Connell is expected to be cut ahead of the 53-man roster deadline, with the source noting he had a better performance against Arizona but remains behind Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza on the depth chart. The source suggests the best-case scenario for O'Connell is a strong showing in the final preseason game to draw trade interest before cutdown day, as he enters a contract year and ideally won't see the field this season.NegativeDepth ChartAug 26, 2026
Third-string quarterback competing for 53-man roster spot; also could be made available in a trade between the end of the preseason game and Sunday's 53-man roster cutdown deadline. The preseason finale against San Francisco is a critical audition for his roster status.NegativeRoleAug 26, 2026
Third-string quarterback likely to see playing time in preseason finale. Raiders considering keeping three quarterbacks on active roster, but O'Connell could also be used as trade bait. Led team to last-second win previously; this game is important for his future with the organization.PositiveProjectionAug 23, 2026
O'Connell turned the game around in three possessions with 23 plays, 195 yards, two touchdowns and 10:29 of play, setting the Raiders' highest point total for a single game in team history as a starter. As a former 4th-round pick on a rookie deal, he can remain as the #3 quarterback without being declared active and retains trade value as a capable veteran option at low cost. In a doom scenario where Kirk Cousins is injured and the Raiders prioritize protecting number-one overall pick Fernando Mendoza, O'Connell can continue showcasing his abilities before free agency without needing to be cut or traded unless an impressive offer arrives.PositiveRoleAug 21, 2026
Backup quarterback is auditioning for another team and put together a strong performance that should help his cause for an opportunity elsewhere. Finished 15 of 24 for 166 yards and no interceptions while engineering three touchdown drives, including a game-winning drive. Was the Raiders' best quarterback of the night, which should be enough for O'Connell to get another opportunity either at the end of camp this year or during the offseason.PositiveProjectionAug 21, 2026
Aidan O'Connell, described as a very strong No. 3 quarterback, led the Raiders' deep backups on a 98-yard drive in the final 97 seconds of the game to complete a comeback from a 20-3 deficit. He was 15 of 24 passing for 166 yards. The source notes that drives like that could help the Raiders trade O'Connell by the August 30 53-man roster deadline if they wish.NegativeDepth ChartAug 19, 2026
The source predicts O'Connell will be cut from the Raiders' 53-man roster, moving from a backup role to cut status. The reasoning: the Raiders are trending toward keeping just two quarterbacks, with Fernando Mendoza looking comfortable enough in Klint Kubiak's offense to serve as the backup. O'Connell's preseason performance against the Cardinals was uninspiring—he completed just 4 of 13 pass attempts, though Pro Football Focus attributed 4 of the 9 incompletions to drops. The source notes that if the coaching staff wants to keep another bubble player at a different position, O'Connell becomes more expendable unless he significantly improves in upcoming preseason games.NegativeRoleAug 14, 2026
No. 3 quarterback finished the game, going 4 of 13 for 85 yards. The source notes 'He should get plenty of time in the final two games to perhaps try to drum up some trade interest,' suggesting potential trade value.NegativeRoleAug 12, 2026
O'Connell is entering a contract year and could be a trade candidate at the end of camp if he plays well during the preseason, or the coaching staff might keep him as a backup to prevent Mendoza from having to play before he's ready if something happens to Cousins.NegativeRoleAug 12, 2026
The extent of Aidan O'Connell's preseason playing time remains uncertain as the source notes it remains to be seen how much he will play individually in the preseason.NegativeProjectionAug 11, 2026
O'Connell is unlikely to start for the Raiders given the team's quarterback situation is centered on when coaching staff feels Fernando Mendoza is ready rather than a true competition with Kirk Cousins. However, by process of elimination, there is a sliver of hope he could start against the Miami Dolphins if circumstances align, though strong performance this summer makes him more likely to be traded.PositiveRoleAug 10, 2026
Fourth-year veteran backup QB with 21 games and 17 starts of NFL experience; may be first man up if Cousins injured; getting game-ready is vital for Raiders contingency planning; came back 'a little bigger, a little stronger' and 'thrown the ball really well' per GM John Spytek; learning Kubiak's complex offense from scratch with zero prior experience in the system; benefits from prior experience assimilating to Josh McDaniels' complex scheme as 2023 rookie; competing with Mendoza and pushing Cousins per Kubiak's expectations.NegativeDepth ChartAug 8, 2026
O'Connell isn't standing out during training camp with minimal information or reports on him so far, though this could be due to more attention on Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza. The source theorizes O'Connell could begin the year as the backup/second-stringer with Mendoza as the emergency game day quarterback, positioning O'Connell to enter if Cousins gets injured rather than throwing the rookie into a chaotic situation.PositiveProjectionJul 30, 2026
Among the four quarterbacks Tre Tucker has played with—Jimmy Garappolo, Gardner Minshew, Aidan O'Connell, and Geno Smith—O'Connell has delivered the best performance, suggesting improved quarterback play could unlock Tucker's true fantasy potential in 2026.NegativeRoleJul 25, 2026
O'Connell is entering a contract year and has no future as a starter in Las Vegas after the Raiders committed to Fernando Mendoza for at least two to three years by taking him No. 1 overall in the draft. If O'Connell is the best quarterback in training camp, he becomes a good trade asset for the Raiders, and the source expects general manager Spytek is hoping O'Connell performs well in the preseason to increase his trade value. However, the situation and narrative doesn't change—this is Mendoza's team moving forward, and O'Connell only sticks around if he's comfortable being a backup.NegativeDepth ChartJul 22, 2026
Veteran QB facing competition from undrafted free agent Jacob Clark for the No. 3 QB roster spot on the Raiders' 53-man roster in 2026; Clark's best-case scenario involves beating out O'Connell for that depth chart position.