Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell suffered an apparent injury in the club’s Week 14 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here’s the latest from Sunday’s game.
What Happened to Aidan O’Connell?
O’Connell went down after completing a pass to Jakobi Meyers late in the third quarter of Sunday’s contest.
After being shoved to the ground by Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, O’Connell received medical attention from the Raiders’ staff, who eventually placed an air cast on the quarterback’s left leg. O’Connell hobbled onto a cart, which took him to Las Vegas’ locker room.
Gene Steratore says Calijah Kancey should have been flagged for an obvious roughing the passer penalty. Tough look for the Bucs.
Aiden O’Connell was carted off after this hit. Desmond Ridder is in at QB. pic.twitter.com/NUtndxHFrS
— The Pewter Plank (@ThePewterPlank) December 8, 2024
Backup quarterback Desmond Ridder is next in line under center with O’Connell sidelined. Ridder, who joined the Raiders in late October, has attempted 26 passes for Vegas this season.
O’Connell’s injury is just the latest quarterback health issue for the Raiders. O’Connell lost the club’s Week 1 starting QB battle to free agent addition Gardner Minshew II but reclaimed the gig in Week 6. However, O’Connell his thumb a week later, necessitating an IR stint.
Minshew broke his collarbone in Week 12, ending his 2024 campaign and pushing O’Connell into the starting lineup in Week 13.
O’Connell went 23 of 35 for 340 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in a tight 19-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Black Friday. The 2023 fourth-round selection has completed 11 of 19 attempts for 104 yards and a pick against the Bucs before departing in Week 14.
Ridder, a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, started 13 games for the Atlanta Falcons last season, throwing for 2,836 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He was benched multiple times and ranked 24th out of 26 qualifiers in PFN’s QB+ after finishing with a D+ grade (69.9).
Did O’Connell Return in Week 14?
The Raiders quickly ruled O’Connell out for the rest of Sunday’s game with a knee injury.
An air cast plus a quick “out” designation are clearly ominous signs for O’Connell’s long-term outlook. At this point, it would be surprising if he plays again this season.
After Sunday’s loss, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce admitted that O’Connell’s injury “doesn’t look good.”
Fantasy Implications of O’Connell’s Injury
Asking the Raiders to impact your fantasy football lineup at this point in the season is dangerous — to say the least. Under O’Connell, the Raiders’ offense, for the most part, was awfully concentrated, with Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers being funneled the bulk of targets.
That was always a quantity over quality spot — the quality isn’t going to change, and the quantity can only trend down.
Bowers is going to be a starter, given his position, regardless of who is under center, though he carries more risk without O’Connell. Meyers sees his value trend down to that of a fringe Flex option in PPR formats.
— PFN Analyst Kyle Soppe
