The Las Vegas Raiders are really shaking things up.
Less than 12 hours after announcing the firing of their head coach and general manager, reports surfaced that the Raiders are also expected to bench starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in favour of rookie Aidan O'Connell, according to multiple reports.
O'Connell is expected to start Sunday's game against the New York Giants and be the team's starter moving forward.
Garoppolo heads to the bench after struggling in the Raiders' Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions. The veteran signal-caller finished the game 10-for-21 for 126 yards with one interception and zero touchdowns.
During the loss, the team's star receiver Davante Adams was seen slamming his helmet to the ground in frustration after Garoppolo missed him on a deep ball.
Garoppolo was brought in this off-season to reunite with McDaniels after the team parted ways with long-time starter Derek Carr. With Garoppolo under centre, the offence severely regressed, becoming the first team since 2009 to score fewer than 20 points on offence in each of the first eight games of the season.
With McDaniels no longer in the picture, the team will try to kickstart things on the offensive side of the ball with the 25-year-old O'Connell.
The Raiders selected O'Connell in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft. He made one start this season, in Week 4, stepping in for an injured Garoppolo against the Los Angeles Chargers. He completed 24 of 39 passes for 238 yards and one interception with a rushing touchdown in the 24-17 loss.
Las Vegas is 3-5 and tied for last place in the AFC West Division.
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