Aidan O’Connell to start at quarterback for Raiders vs. Chargers

Aidan O’Connell will be the starting quarterback for the Raiders today against the Chargers.

With Jimmy Garoppolo ruled out because of a concussion, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels has decided O’Connell will start instead of backup Brian Hoyer, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Hoyer has been listed ahead of O’Connell on the Raiders’ depth chart, but it’s not surprising that McDaniels has decided to see what O’Connell can do. The Raiders need a spark after a disappointing start to the season, and O’Connell could provide it.

A 25-year-old rookie who started 28 games during six years at Purdue, O’Connell arrived in Las Vegas as a fourth-round draft pick and impressed in the preseason. Now he’ll get to show what he can do against a struggling Chargers defense.

Garoppolo will presumably start again once he’s cleared from the concussion protocol, but McDaniels would love to see O’Connell play well enough to make that a difficult decision.

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