Aidan O’Connell & 4 Other Raiders Vets Change Jersey Numbers

Getty Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell.

Heading into last season, the Las Vegas Raiders assigned quarterback Aidan O’Connell No. 4 as his jersey number, which was the same number Derek Carr wore the previous nine seasons. However, it was never the number that O’Connell wanted to play in.

The Raiders announced on May 2 that several veterans will be changing their jersey numbers, including O’Connell, who will now be wearing No. 12. He wore No. 16 in college but that number is currently worn by wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. It’s unclear why O’Connell picked No. 12 but it makes sense why he wouldn’t want to wear Carr’s number anymore.

The quarterback wasn’t the only Raiders veteran to change his number. Notably, running back Zamir White is going from No. 35 to No. 3. It’s the same number he wore in college and will now be donning it in the NFL. Fellow running back Ameer Abdullah is also going back to his college number as he’s switching from No. 22 to No. 8.

Safety Tre’von Moehrig will be going back to his college number as well. He’ll be wearing No. 7 after wearing No. 25 across his first three seasons. Lastly, defensive tackle Marquan McCall is going from No. 96 to No. 52. With the NFL loosening jersey number rules in recent years, a lot of players are finally getting the numbers they wanted to play in.

Notable Rookie Jersey Numbers

Now that the veterans have all decided on their numbers, the rookies are starting to get assigned numbers. The most notable rookie jersey fans will want to know about is first-round pick Brock Bowers. The tight end has decided to wear No. 89. The last Raiders first-round pick to wear No. 89 was wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was a Pro Bowler as a rookie.

The No. 19 Bowers wore in college is currently held by wide receiver DJ Turner so he’s decided to go with a more traditional number for a tight end. Another jersey number that fans will want to know is second-round pick Jackson Powers-Booth. The offensive lineman is going to wear No. 70 at the NFL level, which is different than the No. 58 he wore in college, which is held by linebacker Darien Butler.

Raiders PR gave a breakdown of all the rookie jersey numbers in a May 1 X post.

Can Aidan O’Connell Win Starting QB Spot?

After months of rumors linking the Raiders to the top quarterbacks in the draft, the team decided to not draft a single quarterback. While that’s concerning for the team, it’s great news for O’Connell. He started 10 games for the team last season but didn’t show enough to solidify himself as a long-term starter.

The Raiders brought in veteran Garnder Minshew to compete with him and many expect the journeyman to be the starter in 2024. However, O’Connell starting can’t be ruled out. He got better as the 2023 season went on and threw eight touchdowns to zero interceptions in his final four games. He doesn’t have much athletic upside but he does have a good arm and can be very accurate. Minshew has more experience but he’s mostly been a backup throughout his career. The Raiders might have a very tight competition for starting quarterback in training camp.