What Happened to Aidan James O'Connell?
Aidan O'Connell is an American professional football quarterback who currently plays for the Las Vegas Raiders. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, O'Connell has experienced a dynamic start to his career, including multiple starting opportunities, significant injuries, and navigating various depth chart changes, most recently serving as the third-string quarterback for the Raiders in the 2026 season.
Quick Answer
Aidan O'Connell is currently a quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders, where he is listed as the third-string option behind Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza for the 2026 NFL season. After starting games in both 2023 and 2024, and dealing with significant injuries in 2024 and 2025, O'Connell's role has diminished. He was recently ruled out for the Week 2 game of the 2026 season due to personal reasons.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline14 events
Born in Long Grove, Illinois
Aidan James O'Connell was born in Long Grove, Illinois.
Committed to Purdue as a walk-on
After high school, O'Connell committed to play college football for Purdue University as a preferred walk-on.
Made first career start at Purdue
After not playing in 2017 and 2018, O'Connell played in six games in 2019 and made his first career start against Northwestern.
Earned Second-team All-Big Ten honors
O'Connell had a breakout season, completing 315 of 440 passes for 3,712 yards and 28 touchdowns, earning Second-team All-Big Ten recognition.
Repeated Second-team All-Big Ten honors
As a senior, O'Connell started all 12 games, completing 320 of 499 passes for 3,490 yards and 22 touchdowns, again earning Second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Drafted by Las Vegas Raiders
Aidan O'Connell was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round with the 135th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Signed rookie contract with Raiders
O'Connell signed a four-year, $4,349,380 rookie contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, including a $509,380 signing bonus.
Made first NFL career start
O'Connell made his first career NFL start against the Los Angeles Chargers, filling in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo.
Suffered fractured thumb, placed on IR
After being named the starter earlier in the month, O'Connell suffered a fractured thumb against the Los Angeles Rams and was placed on injured reserve.
Fractured wrist in preseason, placed on IR
O'Connell suffered a fractured wrist in the Raiders' preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals and was placed on injured reserve to begin the 2025 season.
Activated from injured reserve
The Raiders activated O'Connell from injured reserve, making him eligible to play for the first time in the 2025 season.
Played in Week 18 (2025 season) against Chiefs
O'Connell made his only appearance of the 2025 season in Week 18, completing 10 of 22 passes for 102 yards in a win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Began 2026 season as third-string QB
O'Connell began the 2026 season as the third-string quarterback for the Raiders, behind Kirk Cousins and first overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
Ruled out for Week 2 due to personal reasons
O'Connell was ruled out for the Raiders' Week 2 game against the Chargers due to a personal matter, making him unavailable.
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🔍Deep Dive Analysis
Aidan James O'Connell, born September 1, 1998, began his football journey as a walk-on at Purdue University in 2017, a testament to his perseverance after receiving only one Division II scholarship offer out of high school. Despite the initial lack of recruitment, O'Connell steadily climbed the depth chart, eventually becoming the starting quarterback for the Boilermakers. He concluded his collegiate career as Purdue's all-time leader in completion percentage (66.7%) and passer rating (141.8), earning Second-team All-Big Ten honors twice in 2021 and 2022.
O'Connell's impressive collegiate performance led to him being selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year, $4.35 million rookie contract with the team in May 2023. His rookie season saw him make his first NFL start on October 1, 2023, filling in for an injured Jimmy Garoppolo. He appeared in 11 games, starting 10, and finished with 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, recording a 5-5 record as a starter.
The 2024 season presented new challenges. After a preseason competition, O'Connell began as a backup but was named the starter on October 9. However, his tenure was cut short when he suffered a fractured thumb against the Los Angeles Rams on October 20, leading to him being placed on injured reserve. He appeared in nine games, starting seven, with 1,612 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.
His 2025 season was also significantly impacted by injury. O'Connell fractured his wrist in the preseason finale and was placed on injured reserve, missing the majority of the season. He was activated on November 19, 2025, and served primarily as the emergency third-string quarterback behind Geno Smith and Kenny Pickett. He made his sole appearance in Week 18, passing for 102 yards in a win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Heading into the 2026 season, the Raiders made significant changes at the quarterback position, signing veteran Kirk Cousins and drafting Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick. As a result, O'Connell began the 2026 season as the third-string quarterback. His future with the team has been a topic of discussion, with some analysts suggesting a trade could be a path to more playing time. As of September 25, 2026, O'Connell was ruled out for the Week 2 game against the Chargers due to personal reasons, highlighting his current peripheral role within the team.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Aidan James O'Connell made different choices?