Multiple NFL insiders who spend time around the Minnesota Vikings now project the team will hunt for a new backup quarterback following the continued struggles of Sam Howell during training camp.
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune offered his take on Minnesota’s situation under center, as well as the franchise’s likely next move(s) after essentially benching Howell on Friday amid a particularly poor practice session in favor of third-string QB Brett Rypien.
“I think there is going to continue to be a hunt for an option here,” Goessling said on the August 1 edition of the “Access Vikings” podcast. “If they found something they liked that worked in a trade, I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to make something happen, I don’t think that is a settled issue at this point.”
One player with the requisite experience, resumé and low-cost salary who might make sense for the Vikings is Las Vegas Raiders backup QB Aidan O’Connell.
Aidan O’Connell Has Proven Serviceable NFL Starter, but Lost Raiders Job to Geno Smith During Offseason
O’Connell is entering his third professional season in 2025 after the Raiders drafted him in the fourth round out of Purdue two years ago (No. 135 overall).
Since joining the league, O’Connell has started a full season’s worth of games (17) and owns a record of 7-10. He has thrown for 3,830 yards, 20 TDs and 11 INTs over that span.
O’Connell split time as the starter with Gardner Minshew in 2024. The team then traded for Geno Smith this offseason, which pushed O’Connell firmly into the No. 2 role in the desert.
The Raiders also indicated they are considering the longterm picture beyond the next two or three seasons with Smith — who will presumably start over that run, assuming relative health — by drafting rookie quarterback Cam Miller out of North Dakota State in the sixth round back in April.
Thus, O’Connell doesn’t appear to be either the present or the future in Las Vegas and has two years remaining on his $4.4 million rookie contract, all of which renders him highly tradable on both sides of any potential equation.
Vikings May Have to Overpay to Acquire Aidan O’Connell From Raiders, Include Sam Howell in Deal
The issue for the Vikings in dealing for a player like O’Connell is the fact that while the Raiders clearly don’t plan to use him unless injury demands it, he’s also the only proven security blanket behind Smith.
Las Vegas is definitely operating like a team that wants to win in 2025. That said, the Raiders don’t profile as a likely playoff contender next season, especially in what looks to be a formidable AFC West Division.
Meanwhile, the Vikings could be Super Bowl contenders with above-average play under center. Those dual realities could drive up the price for a guy like O’Connell, with whom Las Vegas might split for a slight-to-moderate overpay, particularly if they get another signal-caller with NFL starting experience back in return.
A deal flipping a future fourth- or fifth-round pick and Howell to the Raiders might allow the Vikings to secure O’Connell ahead of Week 1.
