The Las Vegas Raiders have officially introduced their next offensive coordinator. In a press conference Friday, Luke Getsy addressed the upcoming season and the questions that are lingering with the offense.
Getsy said that from afar he has seen positive things from quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who started 10 games last season after taking the job from veteran Jimmy Garoppolo.
“Without even knowing him or talking to him about anything yet, I could tell you right now that guy has got to be someone that prepares his butt off and is a great teammate,” Getsy said about last year’s rookie signal-caller, via The Athletic. “I mean, for the guys to rally around him the way that I saw from the outside looking in, and for him to go perform in the way that he did in the end of that season, that just speaks volumes. So, I’m excited to get to know him, excited to work with him for sure.”
The Raiders were not without drama last season, from the benching of Garoppolo to head coach Josh McDaniels being fired on Oct. 31. O’Connell was named the starting quarterback one day after Antonio Pierce was named the interim head coach.
The team won their first two games under Pierce as the new coach and O’Connell as the new starter. The 25-year-old finished the season with 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions. As a starter, he compiled 2,143 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions for a QB rating of 83.9 and a 5-5 record.
Getsy gave some insight into what his approach will be in 2024.
“You always have to play into the players that you have, and your best players have to be the ones shining on Sunday,” Getsy said. “And so, it’s always about finding what everybody does best, and finding cool and unique ways to emphasize that every week.”
O’Connell showed some hope for the future, but with the Raiders having the No. 13 overall pick, it could mean another QB will enter the scene.
“It’s obviously an impressive [draft class], Getsy said. “I think there’s a lot of different flavors, and I think I’m going to have a lot of fun diving into it.”
While evaluating quarterbacks, Getsy said it’s important for someone in the position to have “some type of escapability.”
“You’ve got to be able to have the second chance and create the extended play, whether it’s just sliding in the pocket, or whether it’s extending it with your feet outside of the pocket,” he said. “It was on display in the Super Bowl … that ability of both of those guys to create the second chance of the play is an important part in our league, and when you’re trying to go win games, you’ve got to be good on third down and in the red zone.”
Getsy, 40, had previously worked with the Green Bay Packers (twice) in numerous roles, including the passing game coordinator, before joining the Chicago Bears as the offensive coordinator from 2022 to 2023.
