The Las Vegas Raiders made a quarterback change during Sunday’s 34-18 loss to the Denver Broncos, replacing Gardner Minshew with second-year passer Aidan O’Connell in the third quarter.
The decision to bench Minshew came after he threw his second interception of the day with Las Vegas down 20-10. The 28-year-old – who won the team’s QB1 role in training camp – tossed an end-zone interception that was returned for a 100-yard pick-6 earlier against Denver.
In addition to two INTs, Minshew completed 12 of 17 pass attempts for 137 yards and one touchdown in Week 5. He entered Sunday with a 70.7% completion rate with three TD passes to three picks in 2024.
Head coach Antonio Pierce declined to name a starting quarterback for the Raiders’ Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers during his postgame presser, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
O’Connell – a fourth-round pick in 2023 – made 11 appearances as a rookie (10 starts). He threw 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions with an 83.9 passer rating.
The 26-year-old went 10-for-20 passing with 94 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception in the second half versus the Broncos. He led a TD drive to cut Las Vegas’ deficit late in the fourth quarter.
