Raiders benching Gardner Minshew, name Aidan O’Connell QB1

HENDERSON, Nev. — Aidan O’Connell will start at quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, replacing Gardner Minshew, coach Antonio Pierce announced Wednesday.

Minshew won a tight training camp battle over O’Connell but was twice benched late in his five starts for the Raiders, in losses to the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. The Raiders are 2-3 heading into Sunday’s game.

“I mean, it was a quarterback battle early on,” Pierce said, “and at this point, I think it’s best to go with Aidan going forward.”

Pierce said the decision to make the switch was his. Asked if it was permanent for the rest of the season or if Minshew might regain the job, Pierce left the door open.

“I don’t plan on making switches at any time,” he said. “When it’s time to make a switch, we’ll make a switch.”

Minshew was completing a career-high 70.7% of his passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns in five games. But he also threw five interceptions, including a momentum-killing 100-yard pick-six at Denver on Sunday, and his 41.1 QBR is a career low.

O’Connell, meanwhile, has completed 59.4% of his throws in spot duty this season for 176 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He said he was “obviously disappointed” when he was not named the starter coming out of training camp, but added that Minshew has been “vocal” in his support of him.

O’Connell said his mindset will be the same as when he was the backup because he prepared every day as if he was the starter anyway

“I definitely know that the job is fluid, and so I’m just trying to do my best, really every day,” O’Connell said. “Today, I’m focusing on today and not really thinking about any days in the future. I’ve got to work on what we’re working on today, try to get better and take each day that way. And it’s hard to do. Your brain wants to go backwards and wants to go forwards, but I think just focusing on the task at hand is the best thing I can do.”

Last season, Pierce elevated the then-rookie O’Connell to the starting role over Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer upon his own elevation from linebackers coach to interim coach on Nov. 1.

O’Connell went 5-5 as a starter and threw for eight touchdowns without a pick in the Raiders’ final four games. On the season, he passed for 2,218 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 appearances.

Pierce said O’Connell has been “way more vocal” this season, even while serving as Minshew’s backup.

“Out of that shell, not looking like a rookie no more,” Pierce said. “Not acting like a rookie no more. He has a certain presence about himself … I love how he walks around the building.

“Really, what I respect the most, is when we named Gardner the starter, he said, ‘All right, I’m going to be the best scout team quarterback possible.’ And he was lighting our ass up. And every day he gives us the best look and he walks around with a smile on his face … the Baltimore game, he and Jackson Powers[-Johnson] were rallying the troops and pumping them up and he was just a great teammate. So, all those things factor into the decisions.”

“He’s a steady dude,” Meyers said. “You kind of know what you’re getting out of him. He a consistent dude. Who he is, is who he is.

“Hopefully, the team responds well. Whatever’s going to get us going, man. We’ve just got to win some games and stay on a positive note.”

Jakobi Meyers, who is second on the team in catches (25) and receiving yards (273), is hopeful that the team will respond with O’Connell under center.

He added: “Whatever’s going to get us going, man. We’ve just got to win some games and stay on a positive note.”