With Kirk Cousins traded to Minnesota, Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell becomes the primary backup and the only other player voice in the quarterback room as rookie Fernando Mendoza prepares for his first NFL start Sunday against Seattle at Allegiant Stadium.
O'Connell has worked closely with Mendoza throughout the season and said Thursday he is focused on keeping the rookie's mindset right. "I've been trying to push him around a lot and shove him around between periods and joking with him," O'Connell said. "He's super locked in on football, which is awesome, but I've been trying to keep the mood light and get his mind off it just enough."
Coach Klint Kubiak praised O'Connell's professionalism and compared his influence to Cousins'. "Aidan is a professional," Kubiak said. "He's an excellent player. He does things the right way. Very similar to Kirk, and to be in a quarterback room with those three guys studying together, they all make each other better."
O'Connell said his own rookie experience in 2023, when he took over as the full-time starter in Week 9, helps him relate to Mendoza. "I definitely think I'm uniquely capable of talking to him and relating to him about it," O'Connell said. "I definitely wasn't a No. 1 pick, so I don't know what that pressure is like. But I took over at a similar time in my rookie year and just going through those emotions are difficult."
O'Connell said he wants to remind Mendoza to enjoy the moment. "It can be overwhelming," O'Connell said. "There's a lot you're trying to absorb in a short period of time, so you're trying to remind him you're just going out there and playing the same game you've been playing for a long time. It's a different stage with a different team, but he has all of our support. We have all the belief in the world in him."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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