Tag: Aidan O’Connell

Broncos’ division rival names starting quarterback ahead of 2024 season

The Broncos will host the Raiders in Week 5 and visit Las Vegas in Week 12. Gardner Minshew enters the season as the Raiders’ QB1.

While Denver Broncos fans wait for the team to name a starting quarterback, a division rival has announced a decision on their own QB competition.

The Las Vegas Raiders have named Gardner Minshew their starting quarterback ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Minshew won the job after competing with second-year incumbent Aidan O’Connell this summer.

O’Connell went 5-5 as a starter with the Raiders last season after taking over for Jimmy Garoppolo. O’Connell completed 62.1% of his passes with 12 touchdowns against seven interceptions last year. He threw two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 27-14 win over the Broncos in Week 17 last season.

Minshew has a 15-22 record in the NFL, including a 26-24 victory over Denver while playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. Minshew threw two touchdown passes in that contest.

The Broncos are set to host the Raiders in Week 5 (Oct. 6) this season. They will later go on the road to play in Las Vegas in Week 12 (Nov. 24).

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Broncos will face backup quarterbacks in their final 3 games

After facing Jared Goff and the Lions, the Broncos will wrap up the regular season against Bailey Zappe, Easton Stick and Aidan O’Connell.

If the Denver Broncos are going to make the NFL playoffs, they probably need to win three of their final four games to finish with a 10-7 record.

Coincidentally, the Broncos will finish the regular season with three straight games against backup quarterbacks on their 2023 schedule.

Before getting to those matchups, Denver will face Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions in Week 15, their toughest remaining game (on paper) this season.

After that, the Broncos will host Bailey Zappe and the New England Patriots on Christmas Eve in Week 16. Zappe was a backup for 11 games this season before Mac Jones was benched. He has a 55.4% completion rate, three touchdowns and three interceptions this year and has been sacked nine times.

Next, Denver will host Easton Stick and the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17. Stick took over for the Chargers on Sunday after Justin Herbert suffered a season finger injury. He went 13-of-24 passing against the Broncos for 179 yards with no touchdowns, two sacks and two fumbles.

To wrap up the season, Denver will face the Aidan O’Connell and the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 18. O’Connell was a backup for six games behind Jimmy Garoppolo this year and he got the starting job after Josh McDaniels was fired. O’Connell’s numbers: 63.8% completion rate, four touchdowns, seven interceptions, 17 sacks and four fumbles.

Here’s a quick look at all four the quarterbacks on the Broncos’ remaining schedule along with their Total QBR rating from ESPN (0-100 scale).

Peter King thinks QB Aidan O’Connell could be a late-round target for Broncos

Peter King thinks Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell could be a late-round target for the Broncos this weekend.

NBC’s Peter King has made two predictions about the Denver Broncos’ plans for the 2023 NFL draft.

First, King predicted Denver will not trade a wide receiver during the draft. After that, he named a potential late-round quarterback the Broncos could consider on Saturday.

“The Broncos pick 67 and 68 to start,” King wrote on Monday. “I don’t expect them to trade a receiver, and I do expect them, on day three, to sniff around Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell.”

O’Connell (6-3, 213 pounds) completed 64.1% of his passes for 3,490 yards and 22 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in 12 games last fall. Denver already has Russell Wilson and Jarrett Stidham, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team add another QB to give Jarrett Guarantano competition for QB3 duties.

Drew Brees, who played under Payton with the New Orleans Saints, was a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year at Purdue and he returned to his alma mater last winter to serve as an interim assistant coach with the Boilermakers.

Payton and Brees still have a close relationship, so Denver potentially having interest in O’Connell might be influenced at least in part by Brees’ knowledge of the school’s program and players.

Two other QBs, Oregon State’s Jack Colletto and Penn State’s Sean Clifford, will also be late-round prospects to keep an eye on this weekend.

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