A QB battle is brewing in Las Vegas.
After nine years of quarterback stability for the Raiders with Derek Carr at the helm, L.V. hoped veteran QB Jimmy Garoppolo would be the answer last season.
That was not the case, as Garoppolo struggled on the field and with injuries.
Instead, 2023 fourth-round pick Aidan O’Connell emerged as the starting quarterback for the majority of the season and has a chance to retain that role for this upcoming season.
However, the Raiders also signed veteran QB Gardner Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract to compete for the starting job.
Will the Raiders reward O’Connell’s solid play as a rookie, or will they pivot in a new direction with the veteran to start the season?
Let’s check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of June 5.
RAIDERS QB TO PLAY FIRST SNAP — WEEK 1
Gardner Minshew, -225 (bet $10 to win $14 total)
Aidan O’Connell, +172 (bet $10 to win $27 total)
Minshew is a former sixth-round pick who will now suit up for his fourth team in six years. He started most of last season with the Colts, replacing 2023 fourth overall pick Anthony Richardson, who went down with a season-ending injury in Week 5.
Minshew had a solid season for Indy, completing 62% of his passes, throwing for over 3,300 yards, and leading a young Colts team to a 9-8 record and one game short of the playoffs.
As for O’Connell, the Purdue product was drafted in the fourth round and was the eighth quarterback taken in the 2023 draft.
O’Connell started 33 games over four years at Purdue. He threw for over 9,000 yards and 65 touchdowns throughout his collegiate career, including his 534-yard passing performance in the 2021 Music City Bowl, which was the second most yards ever thrown in a bowl game by a Big Ten QB.
After being unexpectedly thrown into the starting QB position as a rookie, the 25-year-old found success as a starter. He finished with a 5-5 record, including a huge Christmas Day win over the defending champion Chiefs and a 63-21 win over the Chargers in Week 15.
Statistically, O’Connell had the second-best season of any rookie QB, completing 62% of his passes and finishing the season with an 83.9 QB rating, even though head coach Josh McDaniels was fired after a 3-5 start.
O’Connell won three of his last four starts with an 8:0 touchdown to interception ratio.
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has shown excitement throughout the offseason regarding O’Connell’s rookie campaign and his potential future in the NFL.
“He did a hell of a job for us. You’re talking about a kid that has the mental toughness to play in the National Football League.”
At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Raiders Over/Under win total sits at 6.5, with 12-1 odds to win the AFC West, 60-1 odds to win the AFC, and 100-1 odds to win the Super Bowl.
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