Raiders roster 2026: The case for keeping quarterback Aidan O’Connell
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 04: Aidan O'Connell #12 of the Las Vegas Raiders prepares for a play against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter of the game at Allegiant Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 14-12. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesFernando Mendoza is the shiny new item in the toy box while grizzled veteran Kirk Cousins provides a familiar insurance policy of sorts in the quarterback room.
And the Las Vegas Raiders couldn't be happier.
It's those two signal callers that'll be one of the focal points of the Silver & Black's offseason and we'll get to see if general manager John Spytek did put new head coach Klint Kubiak in a position to succeed in the lead man's inaugural year helming an NFL team.
Mendoza, the highly touted (and debated) Indiana Hoosiers' prospect was snagged by the Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which occurred at the tail end of April. At the beginning of the month, though, Las Vegas inked Cousins in free agency in what's essentially a one-year deal. Within one month, Spytek gave Kubiak a short-term and long-term solutions to a quarterback quandary which continuously plagued the team.
Raiders minority owner and seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Tom Brady isn't shy about his belief young signal callers should sit and learn by watching a veteran. And that's what the Cousins-Mendoza dynamic presents itself in the desert.
And who knows, perhaps an open competition leads to Mendoza being the starting quarterback Week 1?
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell watching Fernando Mendoza after announcing the #Raiders' No. 1 pick:
- Nick Walters (@nickwalt) May 4, 2026
"This kid's like a machine... He definitely (has all the right answers) but he's a genuine kid. It's real."
ESPN pic.twitter.com/ozvG5BGRiz
But what about the quarterback room as a whole?
Cousins and Mendoza are atop the depth chart early in the offseason and stand to be there through the duration. The 37-year-old (38 on August 19) and the 22-year-old (23 on October 1) will duel it out for the starting gig with the victor becoming QB1 and the runner-up QB2.
But there are two other quarterbacks currently on the Raiders roster: Aidan O'Connell and undrafted free agent Jacob Clark.
With the selection of Mendoza No. 1 overall quite obvious for Las Vegas, there was talk of shipping O'Connell off to another team in exchange for a draft pick. Over the course of the three-day draft, nothing materialized and the Raiders' fourth-round pick (135th overall) in the 2023 draft remains on the roster.
And there's a compelling case for the keeping the 27-year-old for the 2026 campaign.
By The Numbers
Aidan O'Connell, Quarterback
- 2025: 1 game, 10-of-22 for 102 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 1 rushing attempt, 7 yards
- Career: (2023-25), 21 games (17 starts), 377-of-608, 3,932 yards, 20 touchdowns, 11 interceptions; 39 carries, 48 yards, 2 touchdowns
First and foremost, O'Connell is a cheap commodity at a premium position. In the final year of his rookie contract, the Purdue product accounts for a $3.801-plus million ($3.674-million base salary, $127,345 signing bonus) cap number. That's the type of salary cap cost that makes it feasible for the Raiders to carry three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster as it's meager when compared to the overall coin that quarterbacks across the league tend to carry be it as a starter or backup.
O'Connell need only to look at his new teammate - Cousins - to see what percentage the signal caller's salary can eat up in terms of cap space.
What a throw by Aidan O'Connell #LVvsKC on Prime Video
- NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2024
Also streaming on #NFLPluspic.twitter.com/3UW5MNjm3n
While the veteran has the fourth-year quarterback beat in terms of starting experience, the soon-to-be 28-year-old (on September 1) O'Connell is no stranger to being the starter. As a rookie in 2023, the 6-foot-3 and 206-pounder played in 11 games and started 10 (going 5-5 as a starting quarterback). O'Connell followed that up with nine games played and seven more starts (2-5) in 2024. He only appeared in one game in 2025 after fracturing his wrist in the preseason finale.
O'Connell showed he can be a competent starter who has the a strong enough and accurate arm and the mental processing skills to assimilate to an offense. That's not something readily available amongst third-string quarterbacks across the league which amplifies O'Connell's value.
If Las Vegas is indeed keen to have as much experience around Mendoza so he can soak it up like a sponge and gear up for his own run as the potential long-term solution to the quarterback position, keeping O'Connell helps accomplish that.
O'Connell's career hasn't been one of consistency or success but he remains upbeat and positive. The Raiders landed Captain Positivity when drafting Mendoza, but getting to hear how O'Connell has navigated his NFL career thus far can prep the rookie quarterback for the hardships that most assuredly await him.
Beyond helping with the development of Mendoza and coming into a game or starting in a pinch, O'Connell gives the Raiders value in the trade market during the 2026 season. Injuries have become a common occurrence to quarterback's across the NFL and when the starter or backup goes down, that can leave one of the 32 teams in the league in dire straits. Keeping O'Connell in the quarterback room - especially on the active 53-man roster - will have teams beset by ailments at the all-important position to inquire on the third-string Raiders signal caller and offer draft pick compensation.
Two minutes of Jacob Clark dealing against the UTEP defense today, which came in ranked 2nd in pass defense in CUSA.
- Sully Engels (@sullyengels) November 16, 2025
30-39, 330 yards, 4 TD, 181.8 passer rating. Just give him the conference player of the week honors now, @ConferenceUSApic.twitter.com/icitSVHDYv
While the 6-foot-5 and 230-pound Clark offers prototypical size, the 25-year-old Missouri State product is making a leap in competition level as he embarks on his NFL journey. And beating out O'Connell for a roster spot is likely going to be a mountain to climb as the veteran has something to prove after the majority of his 2025 campaign was wiped out by injury.
Like O'Connell, Clark is of the classic pocket passer mold who wants to beat the opposing defense with their brain and arm instead of athletically scrambling for yards with their legs. While they both aren't statues in the pocket - they showcase functional athleticism - their as close to cement shoes as you can get. But Clark offsets the running ability with mental toughness in the pocket - even when it gets messy and he's about to absorb a hit - and deliver the ball on time with velocity. Clark has a stronger arm than O'Connell but the veteran is the more accurate of the two.
In his final season at Missouri State, Clark threw for 3,224 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 12 games. He connected on 247 of his 376 throws (65.7 percent completion rate). Unless he can impress, Clark fits in the camp arm/developmental practice squad addition category.