The Las Vegas Raiders face a key roster decision with Aidan O’Connell. Does keeping him as QB3 provide valuable depth, or is it a wasted spot better used elsewhere?
Aidan O’Connell is a likable story. Undrafted, underestimated and durable enough to survive three seasons of organizational chaos in Las Vegas. But sentiment and roster construction are different disciplines, and the Raiders risk confusing the two if they follow the logic of keeping O’Connell as a long-term backup.
The foundational argument for retaining him rests on familiarity with Klint Kubiak’s system and dependability as a backup. Both points are real. Neither is sufficient justification for carrying three quarterbacks on a rebuilding roster with urgent needs elsewhere.
Nick Shook’s Gary Kubiak-to-John Elway analogy on the Locked on Raiders Podcast is evocative but strained. Elway was a franchise cornerstone with Super Bowl equity. Fernando Mendoza is an unproven rookie. Positioning O’Connell as a long-term complement to a player who hasn’t taken an NFL snap yet assumes Mendoza’s trajectory without evidence. Backup quarterbacks are built around proven starters, not projections.
Should the Raiders trade Aidan O’Connell right now?
The carry-three argument also glosses over the opportunity cost. Every roster spot allocated to a third quarterback is a spot unavailable to a position of genuine need, such as pass rusher, cornerback, or offensive line depth. For a franchise still assembling a competitive foundation, hoarding quarterbacks is a luxury, not a strategy.
There’s also a contradiction embedded in the long-term retention pitch. If O’Connell is as valuable as Shook and the Raiders’ coaching staff suggest, his market value in 2027 free agency will reflect it. Re-signing him won’t be inexpensive. Franchises looking for reliable backup quarterbacks with starting experience pay accordingly. The Raiders would be investing developmental resources into a player they’ll eventually have to outbid competitors to keep or lose anyway.
The effusive praise from Kubiak and quarterback coach Mike Sullivan deserves scrutiny as well. Coaching staffs routinely elevate a player’s public profile ahead of a potential trade. Calling O’Connell phenomenal costs nothing and potentially returns a mid-round pick. Reading genuine long-term commitment into offseason press conference language is a recurring mistake in NFL analysis.
O’Connell may well stick in Las Vegas through the 2026 season. Circumstances could force his hand into meaningful snaps. But constructing a multi-year roster philosophy around keeping him comfortable ignores a harder question.
If Mendoza is the future and Cousins is the present, O’Connell is the bridge to nowhere. Bridges, by design, are temporary structures.
*Top Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images
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