The Raiders thought their quarterback room was stable heading into Week 1. Geno Smith was locked in as the starter, Aidan O’Connell decided to be his backup, and rookie Cam Miller was waiting in the wings. But stability only lasts until it gets tested. Now, with O’Connell struggling and sidelined by injury, the question becomes unavoidable: who steps in if Geno misses time?

With the season opener against the Patriots just around the corner, the depth chart feels more like a risk than a safety net. That risk is what has people talking. Reporter Tashan Reed didn’t sugarcoat it: “It’s hard to imagine the #Raiders feel good about their backup QB situation. Aidan O’Connell has been brutal (and got hurt). Cam Miller has flashed some promise, but he wouldn’t be ready to contribute this year.” That’s the storm cloud hanging over Pete Carroll’s head.

Does he trust Miller as the next man up, or does he go hunting for a veteran arm before the lights come on in Foxborough? Las Vegas couldn’t have drawn up a worse preseason ending. Aidan O’Connell opened 3-of-4 for 36 yards before disaster struck in Arizona—strip-sacked on his first drive, the ball on the turf, and minutes later headed for the locker room. “After the game, Pete Carroll told us he is out six to eight weeks,” the Raiders beat writer reported. That’s like a QB room flipped upside down. What was supposed to be a steady plan—Geno Smith leading, O’Connell ready behind him—suddenly feels like a safety net with a giant hole.

The problem is simple but dangerous: who’s next if Geno can’t go? Rookie Cam Miller was thrown into the fire, finishing 12-of-24 for 102 yards, a stat line that showed as much inexperience as potential. “Cam Miller just right now at this point isn’t ready,” a sentiment that matches Carroll’s own lukewarm “we’ll see.” Yes, Miller flashed early in camp—6-of-7 for 76 yards in his debut—but running third-team reps isn’t the same as carrying the clipboard into Foxborough when the lights come on. And now, O’Connell’s injury leaves the Raiders staring at that exact possibility.

That’s why the noise around a new arm is getting louder. “I fully expect that they’ll make a trade or that they will go sign a free agent,” the writer explained, adding the Raiders lean toward free agency as the more realistic fix. The other option? Gamble on Geno’s health and hope the dice stay hot. But with O’Connell sidelined and Miller still raw, that’s a bet that feels more like playing without a helmet.

Pete Carroll faces the storm after O’Connell’s injury

The desert turned cruel on the Raiders. A 20-10 loss to the Cardinals was bad enough, but Pete Carroll’s night took a darker turn when backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell fractured his wrist. Six to eight weeks out. Just like that, the steady hand behind Geno Smith is gone. Carroll didn’t sugarcoat it either: “He fractured his wrist — he’s hurt — it’s going to be a while. That’s a big blow for us.” And he’s right. O’Connell was like the insurance policy you actually trust.

After all, last year alone he threw for 1,612 yards, eight touchdowns, and four picks in nine starts. Solid. A safety net ripped away overnight. Carroll now finds himself walking a tightrope. The coach admitted surgery is on the table. And in the meantime, rookie Cam Miller suddenly finds the spotlight shoved in his face. Carroll, never one to overplay his cards, kept it cautious: “We just got to see what we can do and keep developing Cam. Fortunately, he got a lot of playing time tonight, and that’ll help him.” But here’s the question hanging heavy in the air—can a rookie hold down the fort if disaster strikes Geno Smith?

Carroll wouldn’t commit, dodging with the kind of grin that hides more questions than answers. And how it unraveled was cruelly cinematic. O’Connell’s first snaps? A fumble, a trip to the locker room. The box score reads like a horror short: one drive, one turnover, one season-altering injury. The timing couldn’t have been worse. He was finally cementing himself as the perfect QB2. Now? The Raiders are staring at an empty seat in the quarterback room. Waiting to see if Carroll will patch it with trust in Miller—or a last-minute deal in the trade market.