After Josh McDaniels was replaced as head coach by Antonio Pierce, the Las Vegas Raiders had a positive turn of events in the previous season. Once Pierce named Aidan O’Connell the team’s starting quarterback, the Raiders were much more cohesive and even started to show signs of being competitive.
O’Connell is aware that he will have tough competition in the upcoming season because the Raiders acquired Gardner Minshew in the first round of free agency, when he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts. As one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league the previous season, Minshew is expected to put a lot of pressure on O’Connell to start.
That being said, there’s a strong likelihood that the Raiders, who own the 13th pick in the draft, will use it to choose a quarterback. This year’s draft features six elite quarterbacks, and it appears highly likely that four of them will be chosen by the time the Raiders make their selection.
As the Raiders’ full-time head coach, Pierce is beginning his first season in that role. He served as an interim coach the previous
Raiders clearly looking at the quarterback position
Pierce does not have to do all the work when it comes to bringing a rookie quarterback into the fold. The head coach faces significant pressure leading the team and making personnel decisions for the starting lineup. Selecting players to draft is a major responsibility that he does not have as approaches his first full season.
“Well, you know you can’t have two quarterbacks on the roster, right? So, we know we have to add some,” Pierce told the NFL Network’s Steve Wyche. “The next wave is the draft. So we’ll see. I got Tom Telesco in there. Got the magician. Figure out what he’s got up his sleeve. He’s done it for a long time. I got a lot of trust in him. I think he’s seen it wherever he’s been. Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, becomes a GM with the Chargers, Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert. So he knows something about quarterbacks.”
But no matter whom the Raiders draft, don’t expect the competition to be a walkover in favor of the rookie quarterback. Pierce is very fond of O’Connell, and he is going to make sure he gets the chance to compete for the job.
Listen, Aidan O’Connell played his ass off in the end. He did an amazing job for us, according to Pierce. You’re discussing a young person who possesses the mental toughness necessary to compete in the National Football League. Everything that occurs and everything we do must pass through Aidan O’Connell. being truthful with you since he has earned the right to do so.
Antonio Pierce is pledging his allegiance to a competitor who put forth a lot of effort the previous season, but he will ultimately have to choose the best quarterback, regardless of what transpired.
