HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell suffered a bone bruise to his left knee, tests revealed, in the team’s loss Sunday, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.
O’Connell would like to try to play in the Raiders’ next game, a “Monday Night Football” contest against the Atlanta Falcons, the source told Schefter.
Earlier in the day, before the test results were available, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Desmond Ridder will start if O’Connell is unable to play.
O’Connell was injured late in the third quarter of the Raiders’ 28-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was scrambling toward the sideline and, after throwing a pass, was pushed from behind by Buccaneers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and landed awkwardly. O’Connell was carted off the field with his injured leg in an air cast. Pierce said following the game that, after watching a replay, he thought the hit was late. No flag was thrown.
The Raiders (2-11) have lost nine straight games, their longest in-season losing streak since they opened the 2014 campaign 0-10.
The Falcons (6-7) drafted Ridder in the third round, No. 74 overall, in 2022 out of Cincinnati.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Ridder said Sunday of potentially starting against the Falcons, following his fourth relief appearance of the season for Las Vegas. He has played 62 snaps for the Raiders.
“Like I’ve said, I’m grateful for anytime I’m able to be in this position, to be able to go out there and touch grass and be able to go out there and play with my 10 other brothers on the field. Like we’ve said, we know it’s a Monday night game. We know, for myself personally, what the game will mean. But, I mean, I’m excited. I’m ready to get back to work.”
Ridder, after 19 games over two seasons with Atlanta and an 8-9 record as the Falcons’ starter, was released Aug. 27. A day later, he was signed to the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad.
The Raiders signed him Oct. 22, two days after O’Connell suffered a broken thumb on his right (passing) hand.
“He’s been good,” Pierce said of Ridder. “I mean, oddly enough, he’s played a lot of games, right? It’s the way the season has gone for us.
“But there’s been some bright spots there, some other spots we wish we had back, but what we do see is a guy who is very competitive, that takes his job serious. And he has an opportunity, if Aiden’s not able to go and he’s a starter, it’s another great opportunity for him to showcase himself.”
O’Connell on Sunday was making his second start since his return from injured reserve. He has thrown for 899 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions in six games this season, completing 63.2% of his passes.
Gardner Minshew, who beat out O’Connell in a training camp battle but was benched in favor of the second-year quarterback, reassumed the starting job when O’Connell went down. Minshew then suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in Week 12.
The only other quarterback under contract with the Raiders is undrafted rookie Carter Bradley, who is on the practice squad.
Other quarterbacks on practice squads around the league with starting experience the Raiders could consider if O’Connell can’t play include Trevor Siemian (Tennessee Titans), Mike White (Buffalo Bills) and Nathan Peterman (Falcons). Peterman was with the Raiders in training camp.
Ridder, meanwhile, has passed for 3,783 yards with 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his career while completing 64% of his attempts. He has a passer rating of 84.2.
“Obviously, the team and the game that we’re going to play next week is going to be big, and it’s obviously a huge stage, but this team’s excited,” Ridder said. “This team’s ready to just get a win, ready to put four quarters together, 60 minutes together, to be able to go out there and, at the end of the day, put up more points than the other team. How we do that, we’ve got to figure that out.”
