Antonio Pierce says he’s ‘all about competition’ when asked about the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback situation.
The quarterback room is looking thin in Las Vegas — and Raiders’ head coach, Antonio Pierce, knows it.
During a recent episode of the Rich Eisen Show, Pierce was asked if his Week 1 starter was currently on the roster. He praised Aidan O’Connell and mentioned bringing in more talent, but didn’t mention Jimmy Garoppolo or Brian Hoyer.
“O’Connell put himself in a position that — whoever we bring in — he should battle. I’m all about competition. That will take care of itself,” he said on the podcast.
???? @AntonioPierce
Is the 2024 #RaiderNation starting quarterback currently on the roster?#NFL pic.twitter.com/seWGrhxAS5
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 7, 2024
He went on to praise O’Connell for ‘taking care of the football, managing the game, and doing what we asked him to do.’
“I didn’t need Aidan to go out there and win a game. I didn’t need him to throw for 400 yards or put up these magical numbers — I just needed him to play to our strengths,” he said — adding that their strength was their defense.
O’Connell made a case for himself last year
The Raiders drafted O’Connell with the No. 135 pick (4th round) in the 2023 draft. By the end of his first training camp, he was listed as the third-string QB behind Garoppolo and Hoyer.
Jimmy G suffered several injuries in the first half of the season, and Josh McDaniels was fired on Oct. 31 — when Pierce took over. At the time, O’Connell already had two games (one start) under his belt.
The Raiders were 0-2 in those two games, and O’Connell threw for 313 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
THAT ROOKIE CONNECTION ????#LACvsLV | ???? @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/sdMXuyOt6O
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 15, 2023
With Pierce at the helm, O’Connell became the full-time starter and led them to back-to-back wins in Weeks 9 and 10. But then came the three-game losing streak — capped off by a 0-3 loss to the Vikings. O’Connell threw for two TDs and four INTs during that span.
It was the final four games of the season that caught Pierce’s eye. The Raiders finished the season 3-1 behind O’Connell’s 853 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The perfect way to end a rookie season.
And let’s not forget that masterful 4 TD, 0 INT performance he had against the Chargers in Week 15. The Raiders won 63-21.
What does Antonio Pierce want in a quarterback?
On Feb. 5, Pierce published a long, and passionate, letter — addressed to ‘Raider Nation’ — in The Players’ Tribune. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth a few minutes of your time.
He talked a lot about what he wants this Raiders’ team to look like — noting that ‘not everybody’s a Raider player.’ He even went as far as saying there are only about five players in this year’s draft that they’re really interested in.
This is dead serious.
Raider football. The Silver and Black.
Let’s f***ing go. @PlayersTribunehttps://t.co/UlVqqlbcjc
— Antonio Pierce (@AntonioPierce) February 5, 2024
And then he brought up the quarterback position — and what he wants out of it.
“I want a QB who wants to lead the Raiders to a Lombardi, not just someone looking to be an NFL quarterback, wearing all the jewelry, being all too-cool-for-school,” he wrote.
There you have it — now we know.
All that’s left to do now is find him — whether it’s O’Connell, an incoming free agent, or a rookie. They certainly have options.
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
