The Raiders rotated through three quarterbacks this season. Aidan O’Connell recently took the field against the Chargers and helped them achieve quite an explosive victory. The rookie QB’s athletic prowess has etched his name in the history books after the team secured a victory with a 42-point lead. Despite being a fourth-round pick this year, O’Connell’s impact has been notable, especially considering his modest contract in comparison to Jimmy Garoppolo.
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The 25-year-old quarterback, drafted from the Purdue Boilermakers, signed a four-year $4.3 million contract with the Men in Black in 2023. Interestingly, this deal has now proven to be a calculated investment in the star quarterback.
According to ‘Spotrac‘, O’Connell has a base salary of $750,000 this season with a signing bonus of $509,000. Aidan’s contract has a total cap hit of $877,345 for the Raiders, with the entirety of the signing bonus guaranteed.
⚡️🏈THURSDAY 12/14 #NFL PLAY OF THE DAY | AIDAN O’ CONNELL ⬆️ OVER 19.5 PASS COMPLETIONS
💥HE’S HIT THIS LINE IN GAMES THAT THE RAIDERS RAN AT LEAST 35 PASSING PLAYS IN 4/5 GAMES THIS SEASON AND HAD 24 COMPLETIONS AGAINST THE CHARGERS EARLIER THIS SEASON
🔥LET’S GO FOR 4 POTDS… pic.twitter.com/YMF6zmp512
— SlipsByMusso 🎲 (@SlipsByMusso) December 15, 2023
The Las Vegas Raiders have experienced a difficult season with a 6-8 record and 3rd place in the AFC West. However, the 63-21 victory against the Chargers secured them the franchise record for securing the most points in a game.
Again, Aidan O’Connell played a significant role, throwing for four touchdowns before halftime. His performance has been instrumental for the team since Garoppolo was benched in October with Brian Hoyer and Aidan as his backups. Even as the Raiders QB has made strides, there is a stark difference in his contract with the now-sidelined Garoppolo.
Jimmy Garoppolo will Earn Significantly More than Aidan O’Connell
As O’Connell continues to make waves in his debut season, questions arise about his counterpart. As it turns out, Jimmy Garoppolo has inked quite a significant contract with the team.
Garoppolo currently has a three-year contract with the Las Vegas Raiders that amounts to an impressive $72,750,000. His base salary is 150% of Aidan O’Connell’s, amounting to $1,165,000. The total guaranteed for the contract stands at $45,000,000, with $33,750,000 guaranteed at signing.
Jimmy G injured his back in Oct. 2023 in the Raiders matchup against the New England Patriots. He was seen leaving the stadium in an ambulance at halftime. The Raiders quarterback was replaced by backup Brian Hoyer, with Adrian O’Connell becoming the team’s QB choice later on.
Jimmy Garoppolo is DOUBTFUL to return with a back injury.
Brian Hoyer getting set to take over, per @tracywolfson. pic.twitter.com/rFcpv1b3Ug
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 15, 2023
O’Connell has played a total of 8 games this season for the Raiders. He accumulated 1613 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions. As per Fox Sports, the Raiders currently have only a 4.8% chance of making the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Chargers, on the other hand, are now 5-9 after a demolishing 42-point loss to the Raiders. They are in the fourth position in the AFC West and are set to face the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 24.
