While the initial fear was that Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell had suffered a ligament injury to his knee, further testing revealed that it was just a bone bruise on Monday, according to Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports.
Given that Aidan O'Connell was in an aircast when he left Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this is a great development. A bone bruise is a much better outcome, and it gives O'Connell a chance to return sooner rather than later, according to Schultz.
It is unknown whether or not the Raiders will have O'Connell back for next week's Monday Night Football game against the Atlanta Falcons. If O'Connell is unable to play, it will be Desmond Ridder facing his former team on Monday Night Football.
After losing Gardner Minshew for the season, it is a welcomed report for the Raiders, knowing that they could get O'Connell back at some point over the final four games of the season. It will be worth following reports to see when O'Connell potentially could make his return.
Raiders' outlook ahead of the final 4 games of the season
The Raiders are in line for a top two pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at the very least, but there are some winnable games down the stretch. Las Vegas has an obvious need at quarterback, and Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders would likely be in contention if the team loses out the rest of the way.
The Falcons have not been good as of late, but it could be the toughest game left, especially if O'Connell is out. Then, there are games against the Jackonsville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers remaining. The games against the Jaguars and Saints are very winnable for the Raiders, and the Chargers one could be as well, depending on Los Angeles' decision when it comes to playing starters. It will be worth monitoring the Chargers' playoff standing, and if they will need to win that game in the last week of the regular season.