Insider Says Raiders Quarterback Competition is Trending Toward Aidan O’Connell

The Raiders quarterback competition has started to heat up in the last few weeks, and the consensus seems to be that the decision between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew could go either way.

In Minnesota on Saturday, both quarterbacks played well against the Vikings, but reports from practice this week seem to indicate that neither quarterback has built on that momentum.

Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter talked about the quarterback competition after Tuesday’s practice and said he believes both quarterbacks have played well enough to get the job. But without more separation in practice and games, he thinks O’Connell will most likely be the starting quarterback when the regular season begins.

“I do not believe the quarterback battle is decided. I have reason to believe it’s not, but if I had to make a prediction, I’m not reporting this as of today. This could change dramatically tomorrow. It could change dramatically on Thursday, or dramatically on Saturday against the Cowboys. But if I had to make a guess, I would tell you that I believe Aidan O’Connell is probably going to [be the starter],” Hondo said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast on Wednesday.

“I think it’s a dead heat,” he continued. “Because it’s a dead heat, I go back to what I’ve been told the entire offseason. Gardner has to beat Aidan, and I don’t believe he has.”

From the onset of offseason activities, it has seemed like the coaching staff might be leaning towards O’Connell to be the starter, but the door has been open for Minshew to win the job.

If Minshew outplays O’Connell on Saturday, it’s going to be interesting to see how the coaching staff responds. Could one game be the determining factor?

x: @raidersbeat