Aidan O'Connell Earns Support From Raiders' Quarterbacks Coach
Last week, Levi Edwards, a reporter for the Las Vegas Raiders, released a mailbag article in which he answered a couple of questions from Raiders' fans.
One of those questions was regarding Aidan O'Connell, and whether he'll truly develop into a successful starter in the NFL. Edwards wrote in support of him, making the claim that O'Connell had a solid end to the season, and led the Raiders to some big wins.
Dec 25, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (4) gestures at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
O'Connell heads into the quarterback battle this year on a good note. His solid end to the 2023 season was hard to deny, and he's earned support from players like Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby, who have spoken out in support of him.
He's earned the support of the Raiders' quarterbacks coach, Rich Scangarello, as well:
"Just watching from afar last year, I was incredibly impressed with how he handled the situation... I just feel like the individual is everything you'd hoped he'd be. He's just got a lot of internal drive, discipline, how he sees the game the right way. He wants to be great. He'll work at it. He's selfless and he has a great deal of respect among the teammates, the coaching staff and everyone in the building."
Earning this kind of support from your teammates only comes from consistent preparation and performance in practice, which it seems O'Connell has been able to achieve during this offseason.
At the end of the day, while his rookie season was tough, O'Connell is in a solid situation this year. The Raiders' beefed up their offensive line a bit, and he'll have a ton of receiving talent to get the ball to.
With some solid running backs in the mix, it's fair to expect a solid season from O'Connell if he gets the nod to start the season.