The Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback room is expected to look mighty shallow to begin the 2025 NFL season.
Backup QB Aidan O’Connell was hurt Saturday after a brief stint on the field for the Raiders’ preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The 26-year-old ate a massive sack that resulted in a fumble on his first drive after taking over for Geno Smith midway through the first quarter.
No doubt the @Raiders are in the market for a backup to Geno. pic.twitter.com/iCv3Mlkixo
— SleeperRaiders (@SleeperRaiders) August 24, 2025
O’Connell took the field for one more drive before being replaced by third-string QB Cam Miller. He finished 3/4 for 36 yards.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll told reporters after the game that O’Connell fractured his wrist during the contest.
“It’s going to be a while,” Carroll said of O’Connell’s road to recovery. “That’s a big blow for us.”
Carroll noted that O’Connell’s timeline for rehabilitating the injury is set at about 6-8 weeks.
Even if O’Connell recovers within six weeks, that would have him out until Las Vegas’ Week 5 clash against the Indianapolis Colts on October 5. But it’s likely that the Raiders would take the more cautious approach and give their QB2 some time to get back into game shape, which could mean a few additional weeks on the sidelines.
O’Connell’s injury would elevate sixth-round pick Miller to become Smith’s full-time backup for the early portion of the season. While the rookie QB has shown promise in the preseason, it’s hard to imagine Carroll and the Raiders would feel comfortable with Miller being the only depth behind Smith as the season begins.
Last season, O’Connell threw for 1,612 yards with 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions across 9 games (7 starts) for Las Vegas.
