Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell left the field with a knee injury late in the third quarter of Las Vegas’ 28-13 loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
O’Connell had his left leg in an air cast after coming down awkwardly after what appeared to be a late hit from behind by Buccaneers defensive tackle Kariya Kanshi.
“He doesn’t look good,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said when asked for an update on O’Connell.
After watching the replay, Pearce said Cuncey’s push from behind appeared late, and he sought clarification from officials in real time to no avail.
“As always, we asked,” Pierce said. “I’ll write up a report and let’s see what comes back on Monday or Tuesday.”
On October 22, Desmond Ridder was released from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad and replaced O’Connell. He finished the game 12 of 18 for 101 yards.
The Raiders’ only other quarterback under contract is undrafted rookie Carter Bradley, who is on the practice squad.
O’Connell completed 11 of 19 passes for 104 yards with no interceptions against the Buccaneers.
The only bright spot for the Raiders on Sunday was Brock Bowers, who set the record for most catches in a single season by a rookie tight end. Bowers’ reception with 27 seconds left was his 87th catch of the season, surpassing Sam LaPorta’s 86 catches with the Detroit Lions in 2023.
“He’s having a great year personally,” Pierce said. “I hope it will lead to further success for our team.”
The Raiders lost nine straight games, falling to 2 wins and 11 losses, and recorded their longest losing streak since the start of the 2014 season with 0 wins and 10 losses. Las Vegas will next host the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) on Monday Night Football on December 16th.
Ridder said he is “excited” about the possibility of starting next week against the Falcons. The Falcons drafted him in the third round of the 2022 draft, but released him in August of this year.
“Obviously, the game we play next week with our team is going to be a big one, obviously a big stage, but this team is excited,” Ridder said. “This team is ready to win, put together four quarters, play for 60 minutes, go out there and ultimately score more points than any other team. , you need to understand that.”
According to ESPN Analytics, the Raiders have a 16% chance of acquiring the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the third-highest chance in the league.
