HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who injured his left knee in Sunday's loss at Tampa Bay, went through a walkthrough practice Wednesday and hopes to play against Atlanta.
Las Vegas coach Antonio Pierce wasn't ready, however, to declare that O'Connell would start Monday night's home game against the Falcons.
“We'll see how the week goes,” Pierce said.
O'Connell also took a cautious approach, even as he didn't show any outward signs of being hobbled when he walked in the indoor facility and locker room.
“I can obviously walk and move around and just obviously doing some stuff in the water, but trying to get on the field and move around today, which I did,” O'Connell said. "So just trying to progress and trusting the training staff to get me where I want to be.”
If O'Connell doesn't play, Desmond Ridder will start against his former team. Ridder started 13 games for the Falcons last season before he was traded to Arizona. The Raiders signed him off the Cardinals practice squad Oct. 21.
"Whether it’s against the Falcons — it doesn’t matter who it’s against — any opportunity that I get to go out there and showcase my talents, it’s an exciting time,” Ridder said.
He has had a handful of such opportunities this season.
Ridder has appeared as a backup in four games and has completed 28 of 44 passes for 239 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
Now he hopes to get his first start of the season.
“It’s not like I’ve been sitting for a couple years,” Ridder said. "To be able to go out there in the previous week and have experience, it’s been huge.”
O'Connell's efforts to play have been meet with multiple setbacks this season, including in the preseason.
He first was beaten out by Gardner Minshew for the starting spot. Then when Pierce made a quarterback change after five games, O'Connell broke his thumb a week later against the Los Angeles Rams and missed nearly six weeks.
Then two games after returning to the lineup, he was shoved to the turf by Buccaneers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey.
“I think you have to be tough in the NFL. I don’t think I’m unique in that way,” O'Connell said. "We’ve got a lot of tough guys. I think it’s funny the quarterback gets hurt and everyone’s talking about it, but we have offensive linemen, defensive linemen, guys that are dealing with things every day and people never talk about it.”
The fact that O'Connell might suit up appeared highly unlikely when he was injured against the Bucs. He was carted off the field with an air cast on his left knee.
But then an MRI revealed a bruised bone, and O'Connell finally received some positive injury news.
“It definitely hurt on the field and my knee wasn’t responding how the doctors hoped it would," O'Connell said. "So, yeah, you definitely fear the worst going through that. But then got some imaging done and it seemed like it was definitely best-case scenario.”
To be sure there would be enough healthy quarterbacks on Monday, Las Vegas activated quarterback Carter Bradley from the practice squad Tuesday. His dad, Gus, is the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator.
“Dealing with injuries, might as well have three quarterbacks up the way the season's been going,” Pierce said. “Carter's done a really good job giving us a look on the practice squad. I think as the season's gone on, it's practice, but you have seen improvement.”
Pierce also said he expected running back Alexander Mattison, who hasn't played the past three games because of an ankle injury, to be activated this week. But Sincere McCormick, who rushed for 175 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry while Mattison was out, will remain the No. 1 back.
“He deserves it,” Pierce said. “The last three games, he's run his tail off."
Raiders owner Mark Davis told reporters at the NFL owners meeting in Irving, Texas, that he wouldn't make a decision on whether to retain Pierce until after the season.
“I don’t even want to talk about that right now,” Davis said. “We’re still playing through the season.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Las Vegas Raiders running back Sincere McCormick (28) runs against Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien (29) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder (10) pases in the pocket against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell (12) passes the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The largest artificial intelligence data center ever built by Facebook’s parent company Meta is coming to northeast Louisiana, the company said Wednesday, bringing hopes that the $10 billion facility will transform an economically neglected corner of the state.
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry called it “game-changing” for his state's expanding tech sector, yet some environmental groups have raised concerns over the center's reliance on fossil fuels — and whether the plans for new natural gas power to support it could lead to higher energy bills in the future for Louisiana residents.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, is expanding its existing supercomputer project in Memphis, Tennessee, the city's chamber of commerce said Wednesday. The chamber also said that Nvidia, Dell, and Supermicro Computer will be “establishing operations in Memphis,” without offering further details.
Louisiana is among a growing number of states offering tax credits and other incentives to lure big tech firms seeking sites for energy-intensive data centers.
The U.S. Commerce Department found that there aren’t enough data centers in the U.S. to meet the rising AI-fueled demand, which is projected to grow by 9% each year through 2030, citing industry reports.
Meta anticipates its Louisiana data center will create 500 operational jobs and 5,000 temporary construction jobs, said Kevin Janda, director of data center strategy. At 4 million square feet (370,000 square meters), it will be the company's largest AI data center to date, he added.
“We want to make sure we are having a positive impact on the local level,” Janda said.
Congressional leaders and local representatives from across the political spectrum heralded the Meta facility as a boon for Richland Parish, a rural part of Louisiana with a population of 20,000 historically reliant on agriculture. About one in four residents are considered to live in poverty, according to the U.S. census data. The parish’s unemployment rate was 4.6% last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meta plans to invest $200 million into road and water infrastructure improvements for the parish to offset its water usage. The facility is expected to be completed in 2030.
Entergy, one of the nation's largest utility providers, is fast-tracking plans to build three natural gas power plants in Louisiana capable of generating 2,262 megawatts for Meta's data center over a 15-year period — nearly one-tenth of Entergy's existing energy capacity across four states.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is weighing Entergy's proposal as some environmental groups have opposed locking the state into more fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Meta said it plans to help bring 1,500 megawatts of renewable energy onto the grid in the future.
Louisiana residents may ultimately end up with rate increases to pay off the cost of operating these natural gas power plants when Meta's contract with Entergy expires, said Jessica Hendricks, state policy director for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, a Louisiana-based nonprofit advocating for energy consumers.
“There’s no reason why residential customers in Louisiana need to pay for a power plant for energy that they’re not going to use," Hendricks said. "And we want to make sure that there’s safeguards in place.”
Public service commissioner Foster Campbell, representing northeast Louisiana, said he does not believe the data center will increase rates for Louisiana residents and views it as vital for his region.
“It’s going in one of the most needed places in Louisiana and maybe one of the most needed places in the United States of America,” Foster said. “I’m for it 100%.”
Environmental groups have also warned of the pollution generated by Musk's AI data center in Memphis. The Southern Environmental Law Center, among others, says the supercomputer could strain the power grid, prompting attention from the Environmental Protection Agency. Eighteen gas turbines currently running at xAI’s south Memphis facility are significant sources of ground-level ozone, better known as smog, the group said.
Patrick Anderson, an attorney at the law center, said xAI has operated with “a stunning lack of transparency” in developing its South Memphis facility, which is located near predominantly Black neighborhoods that have long dealt with pollution and health risks from factories and other industrial sites.
“Memphians deserve to know how xAI will affect them,” he said, “and should have a seat at the table when these decisions are being made.”
Sainz reported from Memphis, Tennessee. Associated Press writer Matt O’Brien in Providence, Rhode Island, contributed to this report.
Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Brook on the social platform X: @jack_brook96
FILE - The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
