Raiders benching Garoppolo, making O'Connell their starter

The Las Vegas Raiders aren't done making significant changes.

The Raiders will start rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell moving forward instead of veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, new interim head coach Antonio Pierce confirmed Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

"We just feel like he gives us the best chance," Pierce added.

The quarterback switch is just the latest major development to rock the organization. Head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were fired just after 12:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning after going 3-5 to start their second season with the team. Offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was also reportedly terminated.

Garoppolo had ties to McDaniels and Ziegler dating back to their time with the New England Patriots. He signed a three-year, $72.8-million contract with Las Vegas as a free agent this past offseason, replacing longtime Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.

However, Garoppolo has struggled mightily under center with his new team. He's thrown seven touchdowns to a league-leading nine interceptions and has struggled with his accuracy.

His final start came in Monday night's loss to the Detroit Lions where he missed multiple throws to star wide receiver Davante Adams. He completed just 47.6% of his passes in the defeat, his lowest mark in a game since 2020.

O'Connell was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He's appeared in two games this season, completing just over 65% of his throws for one touchdown to two interceptions.

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