Aidan O'Connell carted off with terrifying leg injury one week after Trevor Lawrence hit

One week ago from this Sunday, Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was removed from the game following an illegal hit from Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. Al-Shaair was suspended for three game following the play, in which he lowered his helmet on Lawrence while the quarterback was trying to slide.

Al-Shaair appealed his suspension to no avail. The decision by the NFL was a signal to defenders that such plays would no longer fly. Sure, roughing the passer has been called for quite some time, but Al-Shaair's hit was a step beyond what the viewing public was used to, and Lawrence has since been placed on injured reserve.

On Sunday, Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell was the victim of an uncalled late hit by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. O'Connell had to be carted off the field, with a cast placed on his leg.

Unlike Al-Shaair, Calijah Kancey was not called for a penalty, nor does he have a history of such hits.

Aidan O'Connell injury update: Everything we know about Raiders QB situation

O'Connell's injury was a serious one, and he was replaced by Desmond Ridder for the remainder of the game. It's fair to expect the Raiders QB to miss some time, but the real question is why a penalty wasn't called on Cancey.

Ridder is a former early-round draft pick by the Atlanta Falcons who didn't pan out. He is not the long-term answer for Vegas, but frankly neither was O'Connell. Antonio Pierce and Co. bet on O'Connell as their QB of the future when they passed on taking a quarterback in the loaded 2024 NFL Draft class. Now, they must suffer the consequences or get lucky with the 2025 class.

If O'Connell misses extensive time, expect the Raiders to add a QB to the active roster via their practice squad, or sign a veteran in free agency.