Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Friday that O'Connell (illness) will be a full participant in practice, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Connell missed practice Thursday due to an illness, but he's now back on full track for Sunday's road matchup against the Buccaneers. Pierce said the same is true of No. 1 wideout Jakobi Meyers, who sat out Thursday due to an ankle issue. It will be to the notable benefit of O'Connell -- who completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions during last week's 19-17 loss to the Chiefs -- to have Meyers and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, his two top targets, both healthy versus Tampa Bay.

O'Connell didn't practice Thursday due to an illness.

EDGE Analysis

O'Connell practiced fully Wednesday, but his absence a day later makes his status for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers worth tracking. Friday's injury report will reveal whether there's any chance that the illness that sidelined O'Connell on Thursday could affect his Week 14 availability. Desmond Ridder is the Raiders' backup quarterback and would presumably start in the event O'Connell isn't healthy enough to do so Sunday.

O'Connell completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and netted no gain on one rush in the Raiders' 19-17 loss to the Chiefs on Friday. He also lost a fumble.

EDGE Analysis

Seeing his first action since Week 7 due to a thumb injury, O'Connell arguably outplayed Patrick Mahomes but still saw the Raiders come up short partly through his own doing. O'Connell's passing yardage total was easily a new career high, and his multi-touchdown tally, which consisted of second-half scoring tosses to Brock Bowers (33 yards) and Tre Tucker (58 yards), was his first of the 2024 season. The second-year signal-caller also spread the ball around to seven different targets, but he wasn't ready for a shotgun snap with 15 seconds remaining at the Chiefs' 38-yard line and saw the ball eventually end up in the hands of Kansas City's Nick Bolton for a game-ending turnover. Despite the heartbreaking finish, O'Connell's overall performance and his chemistry with Bowers (10-140-1) was particularly encouraging, and he therefore carries a bright fantasy outlook into a Week 14 road interconference clash against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Dec. 8.

O'Connell (thumb) was activated off injured reserve Thursday ahead of Friday's game against the Chiefs.

EDGE Analysis

O'Connell's activation corresponds with fellow quarterback Gardner Minshew (collarbone) landing on IR. O'Connell was deemed a full participant on the Raiders' injury report Tuesday through Thursday and heads into Friday without a designation, lining him up to start against Kansas City. Prior to hurting his thumb, O'Connell had completed 52 of 82 passes for 455 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions over four games.

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday that O'Connell (thumb) will start Friday's game at Kansas City, Levi Edwards of the Raiders' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Raiders listed O'Connell as a full practice participant Tuesday, one day after designating him from return from injured reserve. Las Vegas apparently plans to activate him from IR before Friday's game and put him back in the starting role. O'Connell took the job from Gardner Minshew (collarbone) going into Week 6, but then suffered a fractured thumb on his throwing hand in his second start in Week 7. Minshew has started each subsequent game, with Desmond Ridder subbing in a couple of times, including this past Sunday against Denver when Minshew suffered a season-ending injury.

O'Connell was estimated as a full participant in Tuesday's practice walkthrough, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The wheels begin rolling for O'Connell to return from a four-game absence when Las Vegas designated him to return to practice Monday, and it now seems likely that the second-year quarterback will suit up Friday against Kansas City given his designation as a full participant in practice Tuesday. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported earlier Tuesday that O'Connell took first-team reps during the walkthrough, suggesting that the Purdue product will start ahead of Desmond Ridder versus Kansas City. O'Connell will need to be activated off IR before that can happen, but everything points to that transaction taking place, as the QB told Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com that "the hope" is that he'll start Friday.

The Raiders are preparing for O'Connell (thumb) to start Friday's game at Kansas City, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Connell remains on injured reserve, but the Raiders set in motion his potential return for Week 13 by opening his 21-day practice window Monday. According to Pelissero, O'Connell took all the first-team reps during Monday's unofficial practice session, while Desmond Ridder worked with the second team after coming on to replace the injured Gardner Minshew (collarbone) in Sunday's 29-19 loss to the Broncos. With Minshew out for the season, O'Connell should have the opportunity to start for the Raiders over the final six contests, provided his fractured right thumb doesn't present any complications in practice leading up to Friday's game. O'Connell profiles as a low-end fantasy option after he completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 6.3 yards per attempt and a 14:9 TD:INT while offering little production as a runner (11 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries) over his first 15 NFL appearances (12 starts).

O'Connell (thumb) was designated to return to practice on Monday.

EDGE Analysis

The move arrives at an opportune time for the Raiders, with head coach Antonio Pierce having confirmed Monday that Gardner Minshew will be out for the rest of the season after suffering a broken collarbone Sunday, per Levi Edwards of the team's official site. As for O'Connell's potential availability for Friday's game against the Chiefs, Pierce noted that the signal-caller has "been ramping up," while acknowledging that a call on O'Connell's Week 13 status will be up to the Raiders' medical staff. In the event that O'Connell isn't activated from IR ahead of Friday's contest, Desmond Ridder would be in line to draw the start against Kansas City.

Coach Antonio Pierce said Monday that O'Connell (thumb) will be designated to return from injured reserve and participate in Tuesday's walk-through, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Raiders' hope is that O'Connell will be ready to start Friday's Week 13 game against the Chiefs after Gardner Minshew suffered a season-ending broken collarbone in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. O'Connell broke his thumb in Week 7 after making a pair of starts and appearing in a total of four games to begin the 2024 campaign. With Minshew done for the year, it will be a chance for the Raiders to get another lengthy look at their second-year quarterback.

The Raiders are hoping that O'Connell (thumb) will be ready to return from injured reserve and start their Week 13 game against Kansas City on Friday, Tashan Reed of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

O'Connell opened the season as the Raiders' No. 2 quarterback, but after coming on in relief for a struggling Gardner Minshew in Weeks 3 and 5, the second-year signal-caller took over as Las Vegas' starter in Week 6 before fracturing his right thumb in Week 7, resulting in his move to IR. O'Connell seems to have made good progress in his recovery, with head coach Antonio Pierce noting Sunday that the quarterback was able to do some throwing this past week. Assuming the Raiders open O'Connell's 21-day evaluation window this week, he'll have a chance to step back in as Las Vegas' starter after Minshew suffered a season-ending fractured collarbone in a Week 12 loss to the Broncos. Desmond Ridder finished out that contest under center and would be the top candidate to start in Kansas City if the Raiders aren't comfortable with having O'Connell step back into the lineup on a short week.