After a promising rookie season wherein he confirmed flashes of with the ability to lead this Raiders workforce, quarterback Aidan O’Connell will probably be seeking to construct on that efficiency in his second yr. In fact, so as to take action, he should beat out veteran Gardner Minshew in a QB competitors in coaching camp.
There will probably be one thing completely different about O’Connell on the sector this season, as he has determined to modify his jersey quantity from 4 to 12. The rationale he did so exhibits the kind of character the second-year quarterback has.
O’Connell appeared on The Rush Podcast along with his Raiders teammate Maxx Crosby and stated that he selected to modify his quantity out of respect to earlier Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, through Michael Baca of NFL.com:
“When the offseason got here, it felt to me that is Derek’s quantity,” O’Connell stated. “He wore it for that lengthy and he’s a franchise chief and all these things. It felt disrespectful, so I simply wished to type of give that again to him.”
Carr spent 9 seasons because the Raiders quarterback, setting new franchise data for passing yards and touchdowns alongside the best way. He was completely beloved and revered by his teammates and was a consummate skilled and chief for the franchise.
It was very noticeable when O’Connell had the no. 4 jersey final season, however he revealed that the selection was not his:
“I didn’t choose 4,” O’Connell defined. “I used to be truly 9, after which Tyree (Wilson) wished 9, in order that they gave 9 to Tyree. That was like within the first week I used to be right here final yr. After which they gave me 4, and as a rookie you type of do what you’re advised.”
As O’Connell stated, whenever you’re a rookie, particularly a mid-round draft choose, you merely do what you’re advised. But it surely needed to be a bit awkward to be given the variety of the quarterback who simply left the franchise and in addition occurs to be the franchise chief in the entire main classes.
However now, O’Connell’s focus is just on being the perfect participant he might be, and hopefully, that may result in him being below heart when the Raiders take the sector for his or her common season opener.
Aidan O’Connell says Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has given him a ‘nice alternative’
Contemplating what he confirmed as a rookie final season, Aidan O’Connell may have come into this offseason anticipating to retain the beginning job. However the Raiders selected to herald Gardner Minshew and maintain an open competitors, which is simply superb with O’Connell.
The quarterback had a ton of reward for Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce and the arrogance he has proven in him general, including that the coach has given him a ‘nice alternative’ to win the beginning quarterback job for the Raiders.
