The Las Vegas Raiders have benched veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in favor of the rookie Aidan O’Connell, per Mike Garofolo. This is the latest in a flurry of moves that have seen Las Vegas part with their head coach and general manager heading into its Week 9 matchup against the New York Giants.
Garoppolo has played in six games this season. He has thrown for 1,205 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions. Jimmy G is known as a pocket passer and only has added 39 yards on 20 carries. He has struggled to involve star wide receiver Davante Adams, who has expressed his displeasure with the team’s state.
O’Connell will be playing in his third career game on Sunday. He has 313 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions so far. The rookie hasn’t had much opportunity to be effective on the ground, but he does have three yards and a score on three carries. Former linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will serve as the interim head coach for Las Vegas as it looks to try and turn its season around.