If the Raiders are dead-set on drafting a developmental quarterback behind Geno Smith, there certainly would be no reason for them to hang on to O’Connell. We’d be surprised if any team saw enough good in O’Connell to have him compete for a starting role in 2025, but he’d make for a decent backup fit for a few teams given he has two years left on his rookie deal. Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, notably, drafted O’Connell in 2023.

It certainly paints a picture of where Pete Carroll and John Spytek think of the quarterback room they inherited. The rookie would be expected to “learn from [Geno] Smith.” The Raiders probably are out of the first-round quarterback sweepstakes after acquiring Smith. But it does sound like they realize that Geno — entering his age-35 season — is only a short-term solution and are acting to make sure they have a backup plan in place that they believe in.

O’Connell’s tumultuous year comes to an end on a high note with 713 yards, three touchdowns, and just one interception in his final three starts, two of which were wins. Gardner Minshew initially won the starting job and the Raiders were reluctant to bench him despite his poor play. They eventually pulled the trigger in Week 6, marking AOC’s first start. He lasted less than two games before suffering a broken bone in his right thumb, sidelining him for four weeks. O’Connell returned to the starting role once again, only to suffer another injury, this time a bone bruise in his knee. O’Connell was roughly as good as Minshew and definitively better than Desmond Ridder, solidifying his status as a viable backup. The Raiders are all but certainly drafting a quarterback, but O’Connell has done enough through two seasons to stick with the team as a reserve or possibly a bridge option in 2025.