HENDERSON, Nev. – Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce announced that quarterback Aidan O’Connell was designated to return from injured reserve on Monday and will participate in a walk-through on Tuesday. O’Connell has been sidelined since suffering a broken thumb throwing against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7. Pierce would not definitively say whether he will play against the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday.

What does Pierce need to see from O’Connell to get the green light to play?

“Just seeing that he can handle the ball comfortably — hopefully there’s no pain — and just be efficient,” Pierce said Monday. “It is not to the benefit of the player or the team to put a player there who is still hurt or injured.”

🔴📽️ Live: Antonio Pierce speaks to the media from the Intermountain Health Performance Center. https://t.co/l9QnXMxb9f

— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 25, 2024

Quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a broken collarbone against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, clearing the way for O’Connell to start the remainder of the regular season.

The Raiders did not file a waiver claim Monday for quarterback Daniel Jones, who was released by the New York Giants last week. Jones cleared waivers and will become an unrestricted free agent.

O’Connell had replaced a Minshew on the bench in Week 5 against the Broncos, and the plan was for him to be the starter the rest of the way — until he got hurt against the Rams. The 26-year-old from Purdue is eager to get back on the field, but the coaching staff will be cautious in a short week. If he can’t play — and the Raiders don’t add outside help — they will start third-year quarterback Desmond Ridder on Black Friday against the Chiefs.

“You have to be smart at the quarterback position,” Pierce said. “(O’Connell’s) future looks much brighter. He is a young player. We just have to be smart. We have a good relationship, Aidan and I, and he speaks honestly to me, and I speak honestly to him.

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It was a limited sample size for O’Connell this season. He played in four games but started only two and has only 82 pass attempts. He has completed 63.4 percent of those passes for 455 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

O’Connell started 10 games as a rookie last season, including all nine of Pierce’s games as interim head coach. Given the circumstances — he replaced quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo after former head coach Josh McDaniels and former offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi were fired — he was solid. He finished the season with a 62.1 completion percentage, 2,218 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions and posted a 5–5 record as a starter.

While O’Connell entered last offseason as the incumbent starter, the Raiders still signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million deal in March and were interested in drafting a quarterback in April. However, they didn’t, leaving them with a quarterback room led by Minshew and O’Connell.

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The two quarterbacks engaged in a position battle during OTAs and training camp before Minshew emerged victorious. Telesco, Pierce and former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy felt more comfortable with Minshew’s experience and mobility.

It ended up being a disaster. In ten games of action, Minshew scored fourteen goals (tied for the most points in the NFL) and was benched three times before suffering an injury last week.

Now O’Connell could play six games to show how much progress he has made. Despite only being in his second season, he already has his fourth offensive play caller in interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner. The Raiders (2-9) are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak and have been allergic to scoring points all season. They are averaging just 18.7 points per game (26th) and have only improved slightly to 19 points per game in the two games Turner has been in charge.

If O’Connell can make a difference, it will go a long way. The Raiders will explore their options at quarterback this season regardless, but it’s still important that O’Connell gets a chance to show that he deserves to be in the mix.

“These younger guys understand this is their opportunity for the last six weeks of the season,” Pierce said. “You don’t know how this bad boy is going to do in the offseason. … What do the Raiders of 2025 look like, and will you be a part of that? … It’s important for these guys to put their best foot forward and, really, for all our players and myself, including (along with the coaching) staff, to show that we’re fighting and there’s no giving up and no refueling or anything like that BS that is said. We try to win every possible match.”

Required reading

• Raiders were a mess at QB before Gardner Minshew’s injury and need fixing this season
• Raiders QB Gardner Minshew out for the season with broken collarbone
• Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell is expected to miss 4-6 weeks

(Photo: Candice Ward/Getty Images)