Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell back at practice, but status is undetermined for Falcons game

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who injured his left knee in Sunday’s loss at Tampa Bay, went through a walkthrough practice Wednesday and hopes to play against Atlanta.

Las Vegas coach Antonio Pierce wasn’t ready, however, to declare that O’Connell would start Monday night’s home game against the Falcons.

“We’ll see how the week goes,” Pierce said.

O’Connell also took a cautious approach, even as he didn’t show any outward signs of being hobbled when he walked in the indoor facility and locker room.

“I can obviously walk and move around and just obviously doing some stuff in the water, but trying to get on the field and move around today, which I did,” O’Connell said. “So just trying to progress and trusting the training staff to get me where I want to be.”

If O’Connell doesn’t play, Desmond Ridder will start against his former team. Ridder started 13 games for the Falcons last season before he was traded to Arizona. The Raiders signed him off the Cardinals practice squad Oct. 21.

“Whether it’s against the Falcons — it doesn’t matter who it’s against — any opportunity that I get to go out there and showcase my talents, it’s an exciting time,” Ridder said.

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He has had a handful of such opportunities this season.

Ridder has appeared as a backup in four games and has completed 28 of 44 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.

Now he hopes to get his first start of the season.

“It’s not like I’ve been sitting for a couple years,” Ridder said. “To be able to go out there in the previous week and have experience, it’s been huge.”

O’Connell’s efforts to play have been meet with multiple setbacks this season, including in the preseason.

He first was beaten out by Gardner Minshew for the starting spot. Then when Pierce made a quarterback change after five games, O’Connell broke his thumb a week later against the Los Angeles Rams and missed nearly six weeks.

Then two games after returning to the lineup, he was shoved to the turf by Buccaneers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey.

“I think you have to be tough in the NFL. I don’t think I’m unique in that way,” O’Connell said. “We’ve got a lot of tough guys. I think it’s funny the quarterback gets hurt and everyone’s talking about it, but we have offensive linemen, defensive linemen, guys that are dealing with things every day and people never talk about it.”

The fact that O’Connell might suit up appeared highly unlikely when he was injured against the Bucs. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his left knee.

But then an MRI revealed a bruised bone, and O’Connell finally received some positive injury news.

“It definitely hurt on the field and my knee wasn’t responding how the doctors hoped it would,” O’Connell said. “So, yeah, you definitely fear the worst going through that. But then got some imaging done and it seemed like it was definitely best-case scenario.”

To be sure there would be enough healthy quarterbacks on Monday, Las Vegas activated quarterback Carter Bradley from the practice squad Tuesday. His dad, Gus, is the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator.

“Dealing with injuries, might as well have three quarterbacks up the way the season’s been going,” Pierce said. “Carter’s done a really good job giving us a look on the practice squad. I think as the season’s gone on, it’s practice, but you have seen improvement.”

McCormick cements No. 1 RB spot

Pierce also said he expected running back Alexander Mattison, who hasn’t played the past three games because of an ankle injury, to be activated this week. But Sincere McCormick, who rushed for 175 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry while Mattison was out, will remain the No. 1 back.

“He deserves it,” Pierce said. “The last three games, he’s run his tail off.”

Davis quiet on Pierce’s future

Raiders owner Mark Davis told reporters at the NFL owners meeting in Irving, Texas, that he wouldn’t make a decision on whether to retain Pierce until after the season.

“I don’t even want to talk about that right now,” Davis said. “We’re still playing through the season.”

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