O'Connell lost a summer job battle with Gardner Minshew for the Week 1 starting job. A 2023 fourth-round pick, O'Connell began last season as the No. 3 QB only to be named starter Week 9 over both Jimmy Garoppolo and backup Brian Hoyer (after coach Josh McDaniels was fired). O'Connell's arm is merely average, and while he had his moments he was by no means prolific. He ranked 28th in on-target percentage (68.5) and 27th in completion percentage (62.1) even though he didn't throw many deep passes. Seventy-one percent of his passes came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage (4th most), while only 8.7 percent traveled 20-plus yards (22nd). His 6.5 YPA ranked 25th, and he threw just 12 TD passes in 11 games. O'Connell also is immobile -- zero scrambles last season, with his 17 rush attempts mostly being sneaks or kneel-downs. Minshew was a slightly more efficient passer in 13 starts for Indianapolis last year, and he's always been willing to scramble when plays break down. If O'Connell ends up playing this year, he'll throw to veteran WRs Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers as well as young TEs Brock Bowers (a rookie first-round pick) and Michael Mayer (a second-round pick last year). The offense will be directed by former Bears coordinator Luke Getsy, who fielded one of the league's worst passing offenses the last two years in Chicago.
