The Las Vegas Raiders have their franchise quarterback in Geno Smith, which means fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell could be on the trade block. Despite starting each of the past two seasons on the bench, the quarterback has started more games than anyone else for Vegas since 2023. Going 7-10 in his 17 starts, the quarterback has completed 62.6% of his passes for 3,830 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Through two years, O’Connell does not look like a franchise quarterback, but he has the potential to be a solid bridge option and high-level backup. Seeing as he’s a fourth-round pick, his contract costs next to nothing and he’s under team control for the next three seasons. Seeing as Patriots backup Joe Milton went for a fifth-round pick, the Raiders could receive a similar return for Aidan O’Connell if head coach Pete Carroll decides to trade the veteran.
Raiders Could Trade Aidan O’Connell To Saints, Browns
The New Orleans Saints always have chaotic offseasons, and 2025 is no exception. After restructuring his contract to ensure he’ll be with the team in 2025, quarterback Derek Carr reportedly has a shoulder injury that could threaten his season. With surgery on the table, first-year head coach Kellen Moore may not have an adequate quarterback on the roster.
Spencer Rattler had his moments last year, but nobody wants to enter Week 1 with him atop the depth chart. Perhaps a team takes a risk on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, but both rookies come with their share of risk. Sending a late-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in an Aidan O’Connell trade makes all the sense in the world. The third-year pro can start if whichever rookie they select isn’t ready, but he’s not good enough to keep a promising player on the bench indefinitely.
Cleveland’s Quarterback Carousel
The Cleveland Browns are set to host the most underwhelming quarterback battle in recent memory as Pittsburgh Steelers bust Kenny Pickett and 40-year-old Joe Flacco battle for the starting job. Flacco had a great run with the Browns late in 2023, but that was the only real instance of high-level play from the veteran in almost a decade. Pickett, meanwhile, has never come close to justifying his first-round draft capital since entering the league.
With Deshaun Watson already done for the season and the team openly admitting defeat with his contract, it wouldn’t hurt to trade for someone like Aidan O’Connell. While he’s not the next Tom Brady, the Purdue product has put up respectable numbers in subpar environments. He’s also entering his age-27 season, which gives him the potential to be a long-term answer as either the starting or backup quarterback.
All signs point towards the Browns selecting either Colorado’s Travis Hunter or Penn State’s Abdul Carter with the second-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Even if they select a quarterback in the second round of this depleted draft class, Aidan O’Connell is still enough to compete for the QB1 job on this underwhelming depth chart.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – Imagn Images
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