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Paul Gutiérrez, ESPN writer
HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell “should be ready to go” and start Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Friday.
This after O’Connell was carted off the field while wearing a cast on his left leg on Dec. 8 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and missed Monday night’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
He has practiced at full capacity this week.
“It felt great,” O’Connell said earlier this week. “Yeah, it felt great. It’s always fun to be out there with the guys again and, yeah, the body felt great.”
O’Connell lost a training camp battle to free agent Gardner Minshew, but replaced an ineffective Minshew in Week 6.
A broken thumb on his right (passing) hand suffered in his second start sidelined O’Connell for four games before again replacing Minshew, who suffered a season-ending broken collarbone on November 24. .
O’Connell then suffered the knee injury in Tampa Bay and was replaced by Desmond Ridder against the Falcons.
“I’ve definitely seen a lot more than I wanted to this year, from the bench or from anywhere, so it’s definitely been frustrating not being on the field,” said O’Connell, who started four of the six games in those who have played this season. “I think I learned a lot in high school and college, having to sit on the bench for a while and wait my turn. [That] It definitely taught me patience.
“But at the same time, I think I know what it’s like to have to work and when you’re not out there and maybe you can’t see the progress day to day, but [I] “I just have to trust the process.”
O’Connell, who started 10 games for the Raiders as a rookie, threw for 899 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 63.2% of his passes.
“If you just take it game by game, I think that’s a dangerous place to be and that’s why I’m definitely going to focus and make it a one-game season,” he said. “But I hope there is a lot of football to be played in the rest of my career.
“So I’m taking the opportunity as it is and I think when you put too much pressure on yourself, you put yourself in a bad position. So I’m going to focus on this week and whatever happens.” “After that, I’ll worry about it later.”
The Raiders, who have lost 10 straight games, are tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in the league at 2-12, while the Jaguars are 3-11.
