There wasn’t much noise surrounding the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback situation. With Geno Smith leading the way, the Raiders are expected to bring interesting competition in the regular season. We will get a better look when the Raiders gear up for the season opener at Gillette Stadium against the Patriots. While it seems perfect for the team, it’s the entire quarterback room that could pose a problem. The situation might tilt if Smith were to miss time. If anything, the latest incident tells something that the Raiders might want to improve ahead of the regular season.

“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,” Tashan Reed reported on X. The reason behind the concern is simple. Do the Raiders have a capable QB behind their Starter, Smith?

Aidan O’Connell has proved himself to be an important name. The former North Dakota State player has been impressive during his time with the team. In his last two seasons, O’Connell had 17 career starts. Seven of those were from 2024, when he logged 1,612 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions.

However, after the team’s 20-10 loss to the host Arizona Cardinals, the Raiders’ backup quarterback sustained a right wrist injury. As per sources, he is expected to miss six to eight weeks. This isn’t good news for the team. “He fractured his wrist — he’s hurt — it’s going to be a while. That’s a big blow for us,” Carroll said. Indeed, it is. After O’Connell, the Raiders have the fans’ favorite Cam Miller. 

Miller has been impressive in the preseason debut game. He completed 6-of-7 for 76 yards. And many had gone on to give the QB2 job to Miller. However, that is still far from what the team expects QB 2 to do. And he might not be able to contribute as the Raiders expect.

When the coach was asked if Miller is ready for the No. 2 role, Carroll said, “We’ll see.” Miller has mostly worked with the third-team offense and finished the preseason 32-of-61 for 305 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Now, where does that leave the Raiders? It would be a problematic situation that could bring the coach down into some big trouble. This chaos also makes the additional quarterback signing likely.

Pete Carroll was confident about the Raiders

Now, this is very different from Carroll’s previous comment during the training camp. The 74-year-old had made his thoughts clear that expectations will be high despite the team finishing 4-13 last season. The longtime coach told reporters he plans to bring the same philosophy that carried him through two decades of success at both USC and Seattle.

Carroll didn’t shy away from bold predictions. “We are going to win a bunch of games. I can’t even imagine anything else. I’ve been winning 10 games a year for 20 years or something. I mean, what are my expectations? We are going to win a bunch, and I don’t care who hears that. It ain’t about what anybody hears. It’s about what we do, and so that’s why expectations are really high. The standards need to be so that the expectations can be met. We’ll see what happens,” Carroll said.

His track record of leading Seattle to eight double-digit win seasons in nine years, along with back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, backs the confidence. He is responsible for building USC into a national powerhouse, winning two national championships in the early 2000s.

The veteran coach pointed to his year away from the sidelines as giving him clarity on how to approach roster building, coaching efficiency, and long-term player development. But now, Carroll is facing several challenges, and one is with the QB room. However, he isn’t slowing down. Carroll’s approach will be tested in Week 1.