Who Should I Start? Desmond Ridder or Aidan O'Connell

Friday, February 28, 5:22 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders informed quarterback Desmond Ridder that they will not tender him an offer as a restricted free agent this offseason, a source tells NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Ridder will now hit the open market next month after playing in six games (one start) in his lone season for the Raiders in 2024. He went 52-for-85 for 458 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions as a backup in Vegas. The 25-year-old former third-round selection (74th overall) by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022 out of the University of Cincinnati appeared in 19 games (17 starts) in his first two years in the NFL in Atlanta before the Falcons moved on. Ridder briefly latched on as a backup option with the Arizona Cardinals before joining the Raiders this past season. He has plenty of starting experience since entering the league, but Ridder will just be hoping for a chance to earn a backup gig somewhere else in 2025.

Sunday, January 5, 9:55 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 24 of 34 pass attempts for 214 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. He also rushed four times for an additional 13 yards on the ground. O'Connell has delivered modest production over the last three weeks, tallying four passing touchdowns and one turnover during that span. He has benefitted from the breakout seasons of both Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers, but his production might not be enough to deter Vegas from selecting a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Purdue product finished this year with a 63.6 percent completion rate, eight touchdowns, and six turnovers through parts of nine games. Dynasty managers should hold O'Connell on their rosters for now, as he'll be hard to sell but is a little too valuable to drop in leagues with 14 teams or more. From a redraft perspective, he'll trend down as long as the Raiders add a notable quarterback especially if it's a rookie during the upcoming months.