One of the turning points during the Josh McDaniels era in Las Vegas was the decision to start a 38-year-old Brian Hoyer over Aidan O’Connell against the Bears in Week 7. McDaniels opted for the veteran, hoping that he could keep the offense afloat and not turn the ball over.
Instead, Hoyer completed just 50 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions, while leading the offense to six points. That was a move that wasn’t well-received in the locker room as O’Connell is the younger, more talented player. He gave them a chance to win against the Chargers a few weeks prior and the decision not to go back to him might have doomed McDaniels.
Going into Week 9, the Raiders might be making a move at quarterback again. Despite Jimmy Garoppolo being healthy, he clearly isn’t working in this offense. He completed just 10 passes on Monday Night Football, none of which were beyond 20 air yards. He takes too many sacks and now leads the NFL in interceptions (nine) in just 5.5 games.
According to Vincent Bonsignore, the Raiders are “leaning” towards starting O’Connell in Week 9, now that McDaniels is gone. While there has been no official announcement, that is the expectation going into Wednesday’s practice.
Per a source with knowledge, @Raiders are leaning toward Aidan O'Connell as their starting quarterback this week against the Giants.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) November 1, 2023
At this stage of the season, the Raiders are strictly in evaluation mode. They will have a new head coach in 2024, so they might as well figure out what they have on the rest of their roster. Playing a 32-year-old Jimmy Garoppolo doesn’t make sense, especially considering how poorly he’s played this season.
