What a six days it’s been. Sunday night Jimmy Garoppolo started against the Steelers in the home opener, playing every snap. Brian Hoyer was the backup for the game and Aidan O’Connell was inactive, just as he has been every game this season. Now a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler says the Raiders could start O’Connell against the Chargers Sunday.
Buy Raiders TicketsThe #Raiders are leaning toward starting rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell vs. the #Chargers on Sunday, per sources. Source cautioned Raiders still have time to make final call and vet Brian Hoyer is ready, but it’s looking as of now like O’Connell will make his NFL debut. pic.twitter.com/yspSAjABJB
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 1, 2023
Ok, we know how it started and how it’s going, but let’s see how we got here.
Last Sunday night, we all waited in the press conference room following the game for Garoppolo to come in and take the podium. Josh McDaniels had already spoken and 15 minutes had gone by when Raiders head of media relations Will Kiss came in and told us all the Jimmy G would not be speaking. That he was in the concussion protocol.
This came as a shock to us all considering he played the whole game and there was no clear indication of a hit that could have been the culprit. There was a hit by Minkah Fitzpatrick on a blitz, but with a closer look, it didn’t appear as if he made significant contact with the helmet.
The point is, most of us thought he would be fine. That his evaluation was probably just precautionary.
Garoppolo did miss Wednesday’s practice, which suggested the evaluation came back with something concerning. When he took the practice field on Thursday, he was still in concussion protocol, so that too seemed like just part of his inevitable return.
Come the final injury report, he was Questionable. Still pretty standard stuff.
Then come Saturday he was downgraded to OUT. I joined a lot of people in being stunned at the development.
Many fans had been calling for O’Connell to be the next man up since the beginning of the season after the fourth round rookie lit up the preseason. But Hoyer remained the primary backup to Garoppolo and that didn’t change through this past week. The only thing that changed from O’Connell’s previous status was that he was going to actually be active for the first time.
Then come 10pm Pacific time — not six hours since Garoppolo was officially ruled out — this report that the team could be seriously considering starting O’Connell over Hoyer.
Well, consider me and much of the rest of the media shocked. Which would be, like, the third or fourth time this week regarding who will be lining up at QB for the Raiders on Sunday.
Not because I don’t think O’Connell deserves a shot. I mean why not? But just because there was no indication it was a possibility until now. Just a few hours ago, it appeared Garoppolo was starting and Hoyer was next man up. That all may have changed. And with kickoff literally 15 hours away.
Maybe this is real, maybe it’s just gamesmanship. I’m done being schocked. We shall just have to watch and see who trots on the field with the Raiders starting offense tomorrow.
Never a dull moment with the Raiders, I tell ya.
