The Las Vegas Raiders are hoping that they aren't going to be on the same kind of quarterback carousel that they were on last season after bringing in Geno Smith in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. With that deal, the Raiders have a firm, established starter for the first time since Derek Carr left town.
However, the backup spot is unresolved behind smith for Pete Carroll and company, and it became even murkier on Saturday night. The current second-string quarterback, Aidan O'Connell, suffered a broken wrist during the Raiders' final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals and will be out for six-to-eight weeks.
Now, the Raiders are looking for a new backup quarterback while O'Connell is out rehabbing, and Pete Carroll shared what Las Vegas is looking for in a potential addition, via ESPN's Adam Schefter.
“With QB Aidan O'Connell fracturing his wrist and being sidelined 6-8 weeks, Raiders HC Pete Carroll said the team now is in the market for a backup QB and it is looking for ‘an experienced player who can help us,'” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
One candidate to fill in as the backup quarterback is already on the team. Day three draft pick Cam Miller out of North Dakota State has been solid so far in the preseason while running with the third-team offense. However, he doesn't have the experience that Carroll clearly wants and has had at that spot during his days with the Seattle Seahawks.
There are a couple of trade candidates out there that the Raiders might be able to bring in before the regular season starts. The Browns have two potential candidates in Kenny Pickett and Tyler Huntley, even if it seems likely that Pickett will be staying in Cleveland. Huntley is likely to be cut before cut day, making him a potential target for the Raiders.
The Raiders still have a few weeks to get things squared away and get their new backup quarterback, whoever it is, before the regular season gets underway. Las Vegas starts its first regular season of the Carroll era on Sept. 7 against the New England Patriots.
