“I can’t accept $915,00.” Aidan O’Connell is expected to leave the Raiders before his contract expires.

Aidan O’Connell: Competing is nothing new for me.

As a rookie, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell started 10 games and led the club to a 5-5 record.

A position at the outset in 2024 is, however, far from assured. Las Vegas is among the clubs who are anticipated to closely examine quarterbacks in the next draft week, having acquired Gardner Minshew as a free agent. As of right now, the Raiders own the 13th overall pick.

Despite this, O’Connell has accepted that he will have to compete in the upcoming season because it is something he is accustomed to.

“I think especially at this level — and I thought the same thing at Purdue — but especially at this level, there’s going to be competition,” O’Connell said during his Monday press conference. “I mean, it’s the best of the best, and so the coaches and administration want to bring in the best players possible to try to make the team better. And the best guys are going to play, and so I’m just trying to do my job.

“[I]t’s new at this level for me, but it’s nothing new in terms of the competition. It’s been even since high school what I’ve been dealing with and working through, and so that’s just part of the game. It’s not unique to any one position, it’s how it is at every position. Obviously, only one quarterback plays, but it’s part of it.”

“It would be more foreign to me to be the unquestioned starter rather than competing,” O’Connell continued.

O’Connell said that he’s okay with the Raiders perhaps signing another quarterback as long as he keeps his head down and ignores the commotion.

Don’t read it, O’Connell said. “Avoid looking at it and reading it. Indeed, I am very content to be naive. I’m doing this because I really believe that ignorance is bliss.

In 2023, O’Connell gained 2,218 yards and 12 touchdowns on 62 percent of quarterback throws as a rookie, with seven interceptions.