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Paul Gutiérrez, ESPN writer
HENDERSON, Nev. — Aidan O’Connell, recovered from a broken thumb on his right hand (passing), will start at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday, coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday.
“Aidan looks good,” Pierce said. “We’re going to throw the ball a little bit in practice today, but he’s done well the last two days with some runs and obviously, [practicing] inside, but we’ll see how it looks today.
“But we feel good about Aidan. Obviously, he’s been attentive this whole time he’s been on IR. He’s been to every meeting. He’s been very encouraging on the bench. He’s got that laser focus right now. Great opportunity for he.”
O’Connell, on injured reserve since Oct. 22, had his practice window open Monday.
“It’s not 100%, but it’s pretty close,” O’Connell said Tuesday. “I’ve been feeling pretty good pitching the last few days. I’ve had to pitch a little bit from scratch the last few weeks and that’s been good. It’s been kind of horrible not being able to do that.
“Being able to go out and grab the ball and throw a little bit has been awesome. So, yeah, we’re making progress the way we want to… it’s not just throwing the ball 5 yards to a guy, it’s throwing deeper routes and things like that. “
O’Connell lost a training camp battle to free agent Gardner Minshew, but replaced an ineffective Minshew in Week 6. It was in O’Connell’s second start, at the Los Angeles Rams on October 22, when he suffered thumb fracture. in following up a pass attempt.
“It was a broken bone, so there’s not much you can do except sit and wait, which is not ideal,” O’Connell said. “But there are some modalities that you can do in the training room and then just try to get soft tissue and range of motion, all that stuff. But yeah, a lot of it was sitting and waiting, which is not my favorite thing to do.” “. “.
Minshew resumed as a starter after O’Connell’s injury, but then suffered a season-ending broken collarbone late in the Raiders’ 29-19 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
O’Connell, after missing four games, became eligible to come off IR.
Desmond Ridder, released from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad on Oct. 22, has played sparingly in three games, completing 16 of 26 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown with a lost fumble. He has been fired six times.
O’Connell, meanwhile, has appeared in four games, two starts and has thrown for 455 yards completing 52 of 82 attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has been fired three times.
He’s the last quarterback to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, helping lead the Raiders to a 20-14 victory there last Christmas Day, even when he didn’t complete a pass after the first quarter.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are tied with the Lions for the best record in the NFL at 10-1, while the Raiders are tied with the Giants for the worst record at 2-9.
“Let’s call a spade a spade… the best team in football against the worst team in football,” Pierce said. “Let’s change the narrative, right? Let’s go out, let’s make it a dogfight, make it ugly, make it complicated. It’s Black Friday, create some chaos. Go back to Raiders football and have some fun and [show] some personality and let it loose.”
