When Tom Brady became part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, there was no mistaking his influence. The greatest quarterback of all time knows one truth above all. You can’t leave the quarterback room unsettled. GM John Spytek carried that philosophy into August 26, pulling the trigger on a trade for Kenny Pickett after Aidan O’Connell fractured his wrist in the preseason finale.

The Raiders sent the Browns a 2026 fifth-round pick for Pickett, who will serve as Geno Smith’s backup while O’Connell is sidelined. Rookie Cam Miller remains on the roster. But Pete Carroll will be happy that he has another experienced arm through the door now. Pickett fits that mold.

A former first-rounder of the Steelers in 2022, he has started 25 games in the NFL. “He’s 15 and 10 as a starter,” Spytek pointed out. “He’s had opportunities to play. He won a Super Bowl last year, so he knows what it looks like. He’s not too dissimilar from Geno in a lot of ways in the way he can move, and the offence that we wanna run.”

That stylistic fit was the deciding factor. Silver & Black Sports Network’s Jesse Merrick also reported the team didn’t want two quarterbacks with radically different skill sets. “Sometimes you can get two different types of quarterbacks, and it becomes a big challenge for Chip (offensive coordinator Chip Kelly) to kind of match those two up and have the backup ready should something happen in the middle of a game,” Spytek said. “With Kenny and the way he mirrors Geno in a lot of ways, that just makes it easier in what is already a very hard job. He’s somebody we have a lot of respect for.”

Pickett’s resume has zigzagged quickly. After two uneven seasons with Pittsburgh, he was traded to Philadelphia to sit behind Jalen Hurts as they won the Super Bowl. Cleveland then flipped a fifth-round pick and Dorian Thompson-Robinson to acquire him in March. The Browns had him competing for the starting job before a July hamstring injury derailed his preseason. Kevin Stefanski said Sunday he expected Pickett to be ready for Week 1, only to move him on less than 24 hours later.

For the Raiders, the move is simple insurance. As Spytek put it, “We had great character reports with him coming out of Pitt a bunch of years ago, and we just felt like he was a good add for our culture and our team.”

Tom Brady always believed winning starts with stability under center. Vegas just made sure they have it.

Tom Brady’s franchise makes a huge decision on the injured QB

Aidan O’Connell’s preseason was all about proving his growth as Geno Smith’s backup. He had his flashes, 18 completions for 205 yards and a touchdown against Seattle in the preseason opener, then a steady 15-of-23 for 138 yards versus San Francisco. But the mistakes lingered too. Three interceptions across those outings dragged down his rating and his momentum.

Then came the real setback. Late in the preseason finale against Arizona, O’Connell fractured his right wrist. It dashed their hopes of starting the season on a high note. On August 27, the Raiders placed him on injured reserve, a move that ensures he will miss at least the first four games. The timetable calls for six to eight weeks on the sideline.

O’Connell had been their projected QB2, but his injury forced Las Vegas to act. Two days later, the Raiders swung a deal with Cleveland, sending a fifth-round pick for Kenny Pickett. Rookie Cam Miller, who showed glimpses of promise in limited preseason action, has been shifted to the practice squad.

The Raiders open September 7 against Tom Brady’s former team, the New England Patriots, and Pickett will hold the clipboard behind Smith, for now. But make no mistake, Spytek and Pete Carroll still see value in O’Connell. They liked his command of the huddle, his fit in the scheme, and his progress before the injury.

Las Vegas may have secured insurance in Pickett, but if O’Connell can rehab quickly, the Raiders would welcome him back into the mix as soon as possible. In a quarterback room that suddenly feels crowded, his story isn’t over yet.