The Detroit Lions face uncertainty at the backup quarterback spot this season, prompting some analysts to push for a move involving Las Vegas Raiders signal-caller Aidan O’Connell.
Teddy Bridgewater’s unexpected retirement left the Lions scrambling. They signed free agent Joshua Dobbs and added undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer to the mix.
Dobbs remains unfamiliar with the offense and appears a step slow in adjustments. Altmyer, meanwhile, continues absorbing the complexities of professional football.
That situation has sparked calls for Detroit to pursue a more proven option behind the starter.
Ted Nguyen, a senior writer at The Athletic, floated the idea publicly.
“Lions should make a call for AOC,” Nguyen wrote on X.
Mike Payton of A to Z Sports echoed the sentiment in a recent piece.
“O’Connell has started plenty of games in the NFL,” Payton wrote. “He’s 27, so he’s a little bit older, but you look at him and think this guy makes a ton of sense as a premium backup quarterback. I like what he could potentially bring to Detroit, and I think you could bring him in and feel comfortable with him at QB2 over Luke Altmyer.”
Questions remain less about fit and more about the price of acquiring him.O’Connell arrived in the NFL as a fourth-round selection in the 2023 draft. Injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo thrust him into the starting role for 10 games as a rookie, where he posted a 5-5 record with 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
A coaching change the following year brought Gardner Minshew into the fold. Minshew claimed the top job in camp, yet O’Connell still started seven contests, throwing eight touchdowns against four interceptions while the team went 2-5 in those outings.
Another overhaul hit in 2025 with a fresh coaching staff and new quarterbacks. O’Connell saw limited action, completing 10 of 22 passes, and his role with the Raiders evaporated.
He now stares at a fourth different coaching regime and new faces ahead of him on the depth chart, including Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins. Opportunities in Las Vegas appear nonexistent.
With O’Connell entering the final season of his rookie contract, the Raiders have clear incentive to explore options that free up roster space or return value.
The ideal path for Detroit would involve waiting for a release and signing him afterward. Waiver priority, however, does not favor the Lions, raising the odds that other clubs could claim him first.
A trade offers a faster route. Analysts suggest a late-round selection swap or a Day 3 draft pick could get a deal done.
O’Connell turns 28 this year. Career numbers show 20 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 7-10 mark as a starter. By comparison, Dobbs turns 31 with 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a 3-12 starting record.
The edge in value sits with O’Connell, though the exact cost of a potential swap remains the open question for Lions decision-makers.
