Aidan O’Connell suffers significant hand injury
Nov 26, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (4) throws the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell suffered a hand injury on Sunday that is reportedly believed to be significant.
O’Connell had his right hand hit by a defender on a pass attempt during the first half of the Raiders’ game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. He left the game and was replaced by Gardner Minshew.
Aidan O’Connell #raiders
Looks like his thumb gets caught on the defenders hand. Thumb injuries make it very difficult to grip/throw. We’ll see if he can return pic.twitter.com/fEvtvErWUf
— Tom Christ, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT (@FantasyInjuryT) October 20, 2024
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, initial tests revealed that O’Connell suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand.
#Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell is believed to have suffered a broken thumb based on preliminary tests, sources say.
He’ll have further evaluation tomorrow to determine the extent of the injury. Frustrating, considering he had just taken the starting job. pic.twitter.com/B0gs5olKuQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 20, 2024
That likely means O’Connell will be sidelined for an extended period.
O’Connell was just named the Raiders’ starting quarterback in Week 6 after Minshew struggled through the early part of the year. Minshew was benched in Week 5, and the plan was for O’Connell to start for the foreseeable future.
O’Connell went 27/40 for 227 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the Raiders’ 32-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. The former Purdue star was 6/10 for 52 yards prior to leaving Sunday’s game.